Command
by SaucePear
Summary: Zuko is banished from the Fire Nation after his fateful Agni Kai, but his Uncle is prevented from joining him. Zuko must face the world alone except for the sarcastic Lt. Jee, together they fight pirates, brave storms and search for the Avatar!
1. Banished

**Title:** Command

**Tags:** Adventure/Friendship

**Description:** Zuko is banished from the Fire Nation after his fateful Agni Kai, but his Uncle is prevented from joining him. Zuko must face the world alone except for the sarcastic Lt. Jee, together they fight pirates, brave storms and scour the world for any sign of the Avatar, who has not been seen for a hundred years.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar and I'm really not making money off of this.

**Thanks to my Beta Methe for pointing out my terrible phrasing!**

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><p>The last rays of a brilliant Fire Nation sunset glanced off a calm, temperate ocean and pinked the foam that churned in the wake of the modest ferry as it made its way methodically past the Black Cliffs. As the sun at last slipped beneath dark waters the Gates of Azulon, the last visible monument of the Fire Nation capital, finally faded from view.<p>

The boy who leaned on the railing at the stern of the vessel had no appreciation for the sunset, or the imposing and majestic cliffs that rose to either side. He was cloaked in dark red silk with the hood pulled forward to ward off curious stares and his hands gripped the metal rail white-knuckled and tense. The left half of the boy's face was wrapped tightly in clean, white bandages which obscured the eye. His right eye, however, was narrowed, trained on the horizon where the Gates had faded from view. He did not blink, he barely breathed, and it would be some hours yet before he moved from this place, the place where he caught his last glimpse of home.

The crossing from the main island of the Fire Nation to the nearest of the Earth Kingdom colonies was easily three weeks. For those three weeks the boy with the bandaged face did not speak, nor did he leave his tiny cabin, save for meals. In the dark quiet of his berth he lay not asleep but not fully aware. Curled up on his bunk he tried to pretend that it was just a bad dream, that he was safe.

The agony of his face and the gentle rocking of the boat made such self-deception impossible however. Flinging himself onto his back, spread-eagled, Zuko wondered for what felt like the millionth time where his uncle was. The last time he had seen his Uncle Iroh was in the Royal Hospital after the... after he was... after.

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><p>Waking up was a monumental effort, his head throbbed and his eyes wouldn't open right, Zuko made an incoherent noise and tried to move, but his arms weren't responding properly either.<p>

"Shh my nephew, do not try to get up, you need to rest now. How is the pain?"

Uncle Iroh's voice was unmistakable and Zuko felt a strange surge of relief and disappointment. He was relieved to have his Uncle there with him, because he truly felt awful, but he was deeply disappointed that his father was not the one sitting by his bed, waiting for him to wake. The thought struck him as odd, but Zuko's head was fuzzy and it was too hard to think about why that may be.

Zuko tried to blink, but only managed half of the movement, the left side of his face strangely unresponsive. He thought about his Uncle's presence and remembered that he had been asked a question.

"The... pain?" he queried in a rough, broken voice.

Iroh looked at him with concern and started to speak again but Zuko had lost his tenuous hold on consciousness, slipping back into a drugged sleep.

The next time he woke he was alone. Zuko lay unmoving for several minutes, trying to remember where he was and what had happened. His head was fuzzy and it was difficult to concentrate on any one thought.

As Zuko struggled to emerge fully into consciousness, the door to the ward opened, admitting his Uncle Iroh. "Ah, Prince Zuko! It is good to see that you are awake. Are you feeling any better?"

"...a little." Zuko muttered thickly, "Uncle... what happened?"

Iroh frowned thoughtfully at Zuko. He circled the bed with a measured step, coming to stand next to his nephew and tucked his hands into his wide sleeves. "It is perhaps a blessing that you do not yet remember, and I am certain that you will soon, but it does me no honour to recount the past few days' events to you Prince Zuko. Allow me, please, a moment. Perhaps a cup of soothing Jasmine tea would not go amiss?"

"Uncle," Zuko tried for a warning tone, but his anxiety and drug-addled senses caused it to come out more pleading, "what is it? What's going to happen to me?"

His Uncle hummed; a low thrum of disapproval, "You remember, then, the Agni Kai?" Zuko winced and Iroh sighed, he looked as though he were about to say something more, but he simply reached forward and plucked a scroll from the table next to Zuko's head. He handed it to Zuko, "The terms, nephew."

Zuko's hands shook slightly as he cracked the official seal on the scroll. He swallowed nervously and unrolled it. The missive was terse; the language plain to the point of rudeness and Zuko only had to read it once, despite his fuzzy head, to fully grasp what it said.

"B..Banished?" he gasped, turning a pleading gaze on his Uncle, "Until I... capture the Avatar? But... but... the Avatar hasn't been seen for a hundred years... this is..."

"The Firelord's will." Iroh cut in swiftly. There was something strange about his expression and the way he was looking at the healer by the door and not at Zuko.

"Uncle? Please, you have to do something, I can't leave... I can't..." Zuko tried valiantly to imagine a life outside the palace, hunting some elusive figure of myth, he couldn't.

"Hush my nephew, it will be ok, you will not be alone on your journey, I promise you. I will accompany you; I must go now and make preparations. We will need a ship and crew, I think. Perhaps Ho-Yan's daughter has learned something of her father's trade... He made the most wonderful roast duck..." Iroh clapped his hands together and smiled, but it was wavering and did not reach his eyes. He sighed, "I am truly sorry Zuko." And with that he stood and, with a last look at his stricken nephew, left.

Zuko sat in shock for several minutes after Iroh's departure; he was more relieved than he would ever admit to anyone that his Uncle would be accompanying him. He thought about a ship, and a crew, and his Uncle along to guide and help him, maybe capturing the Avatar could be done... With this hopeful thought tugging at the corners of a small smile, Zuko drifted back into sleep.

He woke some time later with a gasping groan, the left side of his face searing with agony. Blinking spots from his vision, his head swimming with the nauseating pain, Zuko tried to prop himself up, though his body felt oddly disconnected. He sat very still for several moments, trying to master the pain and swallow his nausea. Eventually his gasps drew the attention of the healer in the adjoining room.

The man entered swiftly, brusquely handed Zuko a steaming mug and instructed, "Drink the whole dose at once Prince Zuko, it will dull the pain."

Zuko swallowed the thick, bitter liquid without hesitation and nearly dropped the cup as he tried to hand it back. He lay back waiting for the medicine to take effect and happened to glance out the window, it was still mostly dark and Zuko concentrated for a moment to determine the position of the sun, a few hours until dawn; it seems a full day had not yet passed since his conversation with Uncle Iroh. In order to distract himself, Zuko wondered if his Uncle had made any progress in finding a ship and crew.

His attempt was aborted when the door to the ward opened, and torchlight cut across his face. Shielding his eyes, Zuko sat up, squinting into the light. When he spotted the lithe figure of his sister as she slipped into the room, Zuko rolled his eyes and flopped back down. Azula would be crowing, she was always there to criticize and pick at him, and this was a mistake of truly epic proportions. Somehow though, in the wake of his banishment, he found it hard to care about Azula and whatever barbs she may have prepared for him.

Azula made her way silently to the side of Zuko's bed, unknowingly occupying the same space that Iroh had stood in, hours earlier. She spent a few long moments just staring, eyes raking over the bandaged left side of his face, and his shaven head. Zuko glared at her, but instead of the mocking he expected, her eyes were lit with a kind of wary curiosity, it was unnerving to him and Zuko turned away.

"Have you seen under the bandages?"

The question startled him, he hadn't thought she would speak, but even more startling was the tone. She sounded... scared? Azula never sounded scared. Sitting up again, Zuko scooted to one side and faced his sister.

"No, I haven't seen anything, why?"

Azula sat herself next to him, legs kicking, "Just curious... Can I see it?"

"What? NO!" Zuko shuffled backwards, away from Azula's reach, one arm raised protectively in anticipation.

Azula just rolled her eyes, lacing her fingers together on her lap, "Relax Dum dum, I'll be careful," she grimaced, "I won't touch it or anything, I just wanna look."

Lowering his arm cautiously, Zuko stared at his sister, he couldn't think of any other reason she would have for wanting to look at whatever it was that had happened to his face, and he had to admit to himself that now that the pain had faded a bit, he was curious too.

Zuko sighed, "Fine, but wash your hands and try not to breathe on it."

Azula gave him a slightly wicked grin and hopped off the bed, there was a fountain for hand-washing by the door along with some astringent soap. When her hands were clean, Azula returned, taking a cloth from the table next to Zuko's bed and tying it around her face as a mask, she faced him, "Come closer, sit on the edge. I don't want to firebend in here."

Obligingly, Zuko slid over and perched on the edge of the bed, as she reached forward for the edge of his bandage he sucked in a breath. Azula just raised an eyebrow and peeled back the edge of the white gauze. It stung, a lot, and Zuko fought to keep still.

"Tilt your head a little... no, the other way... oh that's revolting!"

"Hey!" Zuko jerked his head away, offended, and Azula was forced to let go of the bandage. Holding her fingers out and grimacing under the mask, she went back to the fountain to wash her hands again.

"What? It's not pretty Zuko, and it's going to scar. I don't know how you'll be able to show your face in court once it's healed."

Azula actually sounded concerned, and Zuko was left wondering why their father hadn't told her. "I'm not going to have to. Didn't dad say? ...Azula... I'm banished." Turning his head in shame, Zuko heard, rather than saw Azula's outburst.

Steam hissed from the fountain, but her voice was cold as ice, "What."

He looked back at her, but he couldn't decipher the strange expression on her face. They stared at one another for a moment, then Azula's eyes narrowed and she turned and left, as silently as she had come.

Turning away from the door, Zuko lay down and tried to get back to sleep. He had almost drifted off when the door opened once more. Zuko didn't bother to turn, it wouldn't be Azula. When she stormed off from an argument, she never came back.

There was a quiet shuffling and then a loud thump. Startled, Zuko turned to find one of the palace servants standing by his bedside.

"Prince Zuko, we have your belongings, will you allow us to escort you to the docks?"

Zuko looked around, confused, along with the servant by his bed; he could see two guards with full face helmets standing by the door. There was a bag at the servant's feet, it wasn't very big. "What? Now? But the sun isn't even up yet." His throat was dry, hardly able to form the words, this wasn't right.

"Yes Prince Zuko, it is still two hours before dawn, the ferry leaves in one hour, we must leave now if you are to catch it." The servant was demure, eyes lowered, voice calm, but the words came with a finality that spoke of authority. They had been ordered to escort him, this was not a choice.

Still... ferry? What about his Uncle, and the ship? He stood shakily and one of the guards stepped forward, but Zuko brushed him off. He took the clothes offered, changing from his sleep pants without shame. The last item was a heavy silk cloak in a dark red, shrugging it on; Zuko pulled the hood forward, hiding his bandage.

Reluctantly, unsteady on his feet, he allowed himself to be led from the palace. The walk down to the port was long and exhausting. There was no palanquin to ride in and Zuko felt that at any moment he would collapse. He would not lean on the guard, however. He still had his dignity, if not his honour and he would walk to the ship under his own power.

Upon reaching the docks, Zuko had fully expected to find his Uncle already waiting, this nonsense about a ferry just a misunderstanding. His disappointment was so great that he nearly fell. There were no ships here, only junks and ferries, and it was to one of the latter that Zuko was led. The guard walked him to the causeway, paid the ferryman and then unceremoniously shoved Zuko's bag into his arms and left. They stopped halfway up the dock, presumably in case Zuko tried to make a run for it, but he was too shocked to do anything of the sort.

Standing on the gangplank of a ferry, paralyzed with fear, disappointment and betrayal, Zuko had only one thought, _where is Uncle?_

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><p>A ferry pulled into the port of Hesan just after noon on a bright and humid summer's day. Disgorging its occupants onto an already bustling pier-side market, the little boat was dwarfed by a rather battered looking Fire Navy ship berthed nearby. The air in the port town was redolent with the smell of rotting fish and smoked eel, a sea breeze the only, temporary, relief.<p>

Sitting on the end of a battered pier, Xiang cast his line and pulled his straw hat further down to shade his eyes. He had been fishing in this same spot for the better part of two days, waiting for the ferry that would bring the banished Prince and so far he hadn't caught a thing. Absently patting the letter tucked into his tunic, Xiang kept a casual eye on the passengers disembarking from the latest ferry, the sooner he spotted the prince, the sooner he could go back to playing pai sho all day instead of this tedious fishing.

The boy in the red silk cloak that stepped uncertainly onto the pier was so easily recognized as nobility that Xiang cringed, though he looked lost and uncertain nothing could disguise the arrogance in his bearing, the upright posture and careful steps. Even from the back, Xiang was certain that this was the right boy. Quickly reeling in his fishing line Xiang stood and stretched, glancing around easily and, apparently unobserved, slipped casually into the crowd. The Prince was easy to tail; he was walking slowly and didn't glance around at all. On his guard anyway, it never hurt to be careful, Xiang followed at a safe distance, eagerly awaiting the completion of this mission.

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><p>Zuko struggled not to retch as the stench of this place invaded his senses. It wasn't so much a smell as it was a living thing, pressing down and in, choking him. His head swimming with pain, he stumbled forward into a seething press of humanity. The crowd surged with strange, unfathomable tides and eddies, pressing in on him and pushing him this way and that. Zuko fought to keep heading in the same direction, for no other reason than a fear of being lost forever in this faceless sea of people. Hands brushed across his back and shoulders, nimble fingers scraped his waist and Zuko choked, suffocating with so many people around him, breathing on him, touching him. He fought the press, moving as quickly as he could to escape, his breath coming quick and shallow, heart racing and a terrifying numbness stealing its way in from his extremities. He felt cold, but sticky with sweat and all of a sudden was gripped with the irrational fear that he would die here, trapped in this mess of bodies.<p>

Just as he felt himself really starting to lose it, he spotted a gap in the crowd, wriggling forward he pushed himself clear, finding a space in the lee of an archway. Free of the grasping, shoving hands, Zuko gasped in ragged breaths. He stood there, shaking and trembling for several moments before he finally regained some presence of mind. Glancing upwards and around he noted that he was standing at the gate of a quadrangle complex that advertised itself as an inn. Gratefully, Zuko stepped into the cool, dim archway. The noise from the pier dropped off as he entered the quadrangle and took a seat at a low, rickety table. He was feeling much saner now that he was out of the crowd, but the pain in the left half of his face had not dimmed. Breathing deeply in a calming pattern, he held himself still and tried to retreat from the ragged edged panic that was threatening to overwhelm him again. He was alone in a strange town with nothing but a small bag and a mission he had no idea how to begin. Zuko fought hard against the urge to hyperventilate.

"Uhm... excuse me... can I get you something?"

Zuko's head jerked up startled. A girl in a serving outfit had approached him while he was struggling to breathe and was now gazing at him quizzically, holding a small pad and ink stick. Zuko looked around kind of desperately, at a loss as to what kind of refreshments peasants served to one another, "Uh, like what?"

"We have tea, rice cakes, the day's soup with noodles or smoked eel on rice." The girl recited mechanically, her eyes were fixed on Zuko's bandaged face, causing him to fidget nervously.

"Oh, uhm... tea? I guess...?" The thought of eating anything remotely related to seafood turned his stomach. The stench from the pier had not entirely dissipated. He dug in his bag, hoping that the servants had included some kind of currency. Finding a small bag of clinking metal he pulled out a handful of coins. They glinted golden in the sunlight and Zuko turned to the girl, frowning. "Do you have rooms here? I thought I noticed the character for 'inn' on the archway..?"

The glittering gold coins in Zuko's hand were enough to tear the girls attention away from his face, her eyes widened as she took in the wealth, sitting so easily in his hand, "Yes, we have rooms, my mother does the guest roster, I'll tell her to come see you after I bring your tea." She backed away, quickly, ink stick scratching, and then turned and ran into the nearest building. Zuko could faintly hear her shouting for her mother, but he stopped paying attention. Shoving the coins back into his bag he let his head fall into his arms; then yelped as pain flared under his bandage. Gingerly laying the right half of his face down, Zuko waited.

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><p>Xiang watched the Prince finish his tea, sipping a cup of his own. He was certain that he hadn't been noticed and as the Prince finished talking to the owner of the inn and they departed for the main building he simply stood casually and followed them as though he had every right to be there. When the woman and the boy stopped at a particular door Xiang merely noted its location and kept walking, he rounded the corner and then paused, waiting until the woman left.<p>

When he heard her footsteps retreat, Xiang retraced his steps. Carefully, quietly, he removed the folded letter from inside his tunic and slipped it under the Prince's door. Making his way from the inn, back to his favourite pai sho parlour, Xiang smiled.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to everyone who read this far, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. I have this thing plotted out all the way to a sequel. If you like it please review (even if you just give me your internet thumbs up!), if you have any constructive criticism I'd love to hear it!**

**Next Time: **Zuko gets a letter and worries about money. Jee makes his entrance!

**A/N the second:** I've made a minor change to this chapter because I sensed that I was going to have major timeline issues unless I fixed things now: Instead of being four days from the Fire Nation capital, Hesan is now three weeks from the capital.


	2. Thievery part 1

**I've split this chapter into two parts because it's enormous, the second part shouldn't be too far away.**

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><p>Zuko woke early the next morning with a rumbling stomach and a throbbing head. He had fallen asleep almost as soon as that woman had left him alone and so had missed dinner. The pain in his head was intense, as was the curling anxiety in his gut. Zuko had decided some days ago that he loathed waking up in strange places and the knowledge that this may be the rest of his life only served to fuel that loathing. Miserably, Zuko dressed.<p>

The amenities in the small room were spare, but functional and Zuko did not have an elaborate morning routine in any case. In other circumstances, he may have considered the freedom from attendants and servants to be exciting, an adventure even, but any enjoyment was stillborn in the knowledge that the servants were gone because he was banished, cast out, to return only with the Avatar.

Zuko clutched his temples and groaned, the Avatar! How on earth was he meant to find that ancient powerful figure, let alone capture him? He hoped that he would soon gain some insight as to how to complete what, currently, felt like an impossible task. Gritting his teeth, Zuko mentally grappled with himself: the task could not be impossible because he had been given it and he would complete it. He would complete it because that was the only way he could go home. He was going to go home again; therefore there must be some way to capture the Avatar.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko settled himself and slid open the door to the hallway. As he did so he noticed the folded square of paper that had been pushed through the gap. The paper was crisp and new, the folds barely worn and it was sealed with a wax stamp in the shape of some kind of stylized flower. Above the seal was Zuko's name, the characters formed with the bold, elegant strokes that Zuko remembered, and he couldn't stop the sudden cry, "Uncle!"

Not even bothering to close the door, Zuko split the seal and unfolded the letter from his Uncle Iroh.

_My favourite nephew,_

_I am sorry that I could not be there to see you off, I have been very busy at the palace recently. I have been honoured by your esteemed father, Fire lord Ozai, with a position on his council. I wanted to apologize for missing your birthday, and have arranged a present to be delivered to you. Enclosed is your certificate of ownership, do not lose it! I have also sent you my pai sho board, I do not think I will have much time for the game with my new duties, and hope that you can make better use of it._

_Your uncle,_

_Prince Iroh_

Zuko stared at the letter, dumbfounded. He felt a rush of disappointment, followed by a surge of anger. He had been thinking about his uncle almost constantly since boarding that miserable ferry, wondering where he was, why he hadn't come, and all he gets is some stupid letter about court and pai sho? And what was that nonsense about his birthday? It wasn't his birthday for another eight months!

A wisp of smoke curled from the page where it was clutched in his fist and Zuko angrily tamped down the sparks. As upset as he was, he didn't want to destroy his uncle's letter. He unfolded the bottom of the sheet to have a look at this 'certificate of ownership'. He was angry that his uncle had sent him such a meaningless letter, but also curious about what his gift was.

Zuko plucked the official looking slip of paper from the air as it fluttered to the ground and smoothed it out, muttering as he read, "Certificate of Ownership... Fire Navy vessel, Cruiser class... It was commissioned in the fifth year of the Dog, Ri Wu Era... That's thirty years old!"

His uncle had given him a _thirty-year-old_ Fire Navy Cruiser? Some ancient hulk, what did he want something like that for? Wait... his uncle had given him a thirty-year-old _Fire Navy Cruiser_! He had a ship! Zuko remembered seeing an old, battered cruiser docked next to the ferry yesterday, could that be his? Ecstatic, his hunger forgotten, Zuko raced out of his room with the letter still clutched in his fist.

It was only an hour past dawn and the pier-side market was quiet. Very few people were out and even fewer were moving. As he hurried towards his new ship, Zuko noticed a man snoring loudly, propped against some crates near the docks. He'd never seen someone sleeping outside before and as he slowed and took another look, one of the man's eyes cracked open and he glowered. Startled, Zuko moved on.

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><p>The ship was docked where he remembered, towering imposingly over the little junks and fishing boats nearby. The details on the certificate Zuko held matched the ship's identification tag, so he wasted no time in clambering up a rope ladder and onto the deck.<p>

He spent a few minutes poking around the deck, slipping around the side of the command tower to check out the boiler and stacks. The ship was not terribly impressive by current military standards, it was somewhat rusty, and Zuko could only see one catapult hatch but it seemed to have been maintained, and from what Zuko could remember of his lessons, this particular model was _fast_. And more importantly, it was _his_. Moving back to the deck, Zuko tried the door to the tower, but it was locked. He wondered who might have the key, since it had not been included with the certificate in his letter.

A commotion from the dock beneath him drew Zuko from his perusal; leaning over the ladder he found himself looking down at the panting, sweating form of a middle aged peasant. The man was trying valiantly to climb the rope ladder onto the ship. Zuko cleared his throat, about to ask the man what he thought he was doing, but at the sound the man's head jerked up and his eyes narrowed.

"You! Kid, what do you think you're doing on this ship?" he all but bellowed.

Zuko was momentarily startled; he had never been spoken to like that by a peasant. Forcibly reminded of some of his harsher tutors, he felt the irrational urge to apologise. Quashing it he glared haughtily down at the man as he produced his certificate, "I own this ship, what business is it of yours?"

Zuko could see the wheels turning in the man's brain, his jaw worked silently for a few moments and then he paled, "P..Prince Zuko?" he looked like he was trying to figure out how to bow while climbing a ladder, the resulting motion was awkward and Zuko couldn't entirely suppress his snicker.

"Forgive me sir," the man scrambled onto the deck, bowing properly, his eyes skittering over Zuko's bandaged face, "I did not recognize you."

Zuko glowered, "Who are you?"

The man took a moment to catch his breath and then spoke from his bowed position, "I am Hun, temporary harbour master of Hesan."

Zuko nodded, thinking, "Harbour master, hmm... would you know where I can find the key to my ship's tower?"

The man's eyes shifted nervously and his voice took on an unctuous tone, "Of course Prince Zuko, the Naval Outpost on the outskirts of the town should have your keys," he pointed to a building just peeking over the roofs of the town, "it's just over there."

Shading his eyes Zuko glanced across at the building, a quick estimate said it couldn't be more than an hour's walk away. Waving the man off, Zuko leapt down to the dock, landing in a crouch. As he rose he felt slightly lightheaded and a little dizzy, but his head was still throbbing so Zuko figured it was just his injury.

As he walked through the town towards the outpost building, Zuko became convinced that his estimate was seriously off. The sun, climbing relentlessly into the sky was beating down on him from a position that was far too close to noon for his liking. He was tired, sore, thirsty and still dizzy by the time he finally made it. Dragging himself up the shallow steps, he was too miserable to do more than glance at the building before stepping inside. He noted with some satisfaction that, despite the ramshackle appearance of many of the towns other buildings, the outpost was well maintained and study looking.

The interior of the building was much smaller than Zuko had anticipated. The narrow room was divided by a tall desk and a screen behind which Zuko could just see a glimpse of stairs and hallways. The front area where Zuko found himself was plastered with Fire Nation hangings, recruitment posters and pro-war slogans, leaving barely a square inch of the off-white plaster remaining. A stern and serious looking woman stood behind the desk. She was wearing the uniform of the home guard and currently engaged in marking up a ledger.

Zuko cleared his throat and stepped further into the room, "This is the Naval Outpost? The harbour master said you would have the key to my ship." He slid the certificate forward on the desk, which was so tall that his shoulders only barely reached it.

The woman made a humming noise as she took the certificate; she then disappeared behind the screen. Zuko just stood there, slightly dumbfounded that she would just walk off without saying anything, but he did not have long to wait. Moments later she returned with another heavy ledger and a small lacquered box. She came around to Zuko's side of the desk, performed a crisp, military salute and presented the box to him, "Here are your keys, Prince Zuko. I will need you to sign the ledger to indicate that you have taken possession of them, and the ship."

Signing his name quickly, Zuko turned to the woman, "So, does the ship have a crew or...?" he trailed off uncertainly.

She frowned at him seriously, "No sir, the ship is in your private ownership, if you have a mission that concerns the Navy and require a crew then I'll need to see orders from the Admiral of your fleet."

Zuko was conflicted, his banishment notice included the order from the Fire lord to hunt the Avatar, but he really did not want to hand it over. The shame of banishment was enough without having to present the physical proof that he was unworthy of his father. Reluctantly, he drew the scroll from his bag and handed it to the woman. His shame could not be allowed to hinder his mission; pride was what had gotten him into trouble in the first place.

The woman read the orders quickly, copied out the code from the bottom of the sheet and stamped it. Flushed with embarrassment, Zuko accepted the scroll back, but he couldn't bring himself to break the awkward silence that had descended on the small office.

Fortunately, he didn't have to. After a few awkward moments, the woman cleared her throat and continued in a serious and businesslike manner, "How soon do you require your crew sir?"

"Immediately!" Zuko replied without hesitation, the sooner he was underway the sooner he could begin his search and the sooner he could go home.

"Very well, here is a list of sailors currently without postings in this port," she copied out a list of names and their skills and handed it to him, "you'll have to track them down yourself to make your offer, once you have your crew you can send someone to retrieve copies of their particulars."

Zuko stared at the list; it wasn't very long, maybe twelve or thirteen people, scanning it closely, he noticed that there seemed to be exactly a ships complement. There was a cook, a medic, some engineers, and even a lieutenant. Zuko thanked the woman absently as he made his way from the outpost. Heading back to the pier he wondered briefly if the crew had served together on their last posting. Sometimes, if a ship is badly damaged, it's just not worthwhile to repair it and the crew end up waiting to find new postings.

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><p>The walk back to the docks was long, hot and tiring. By the time Zuko finally reached the end of the side-street he had been travelling on and was faced with the crushing press of the noon crowd he was sticky, dizzy and sore. The thought of wading through the crowds looking for sailors with only their names to go on was just too much and he decided to begin his search that evening when it would be at least cooler, if not significantly less crowded. Skirting the edge of the crowd Zuko made his way to his ship. If he had an afternoon to kill he may as well spend it learning what he could and exploring.<p>

The ship was where he had left it, the harbour master nowhere in sight. Climbing the rope ladder was much harder this time around, his hands were shaking and his limbs felt heavy. After taking a moment to overcome his dizziness Zuko went to the tower door. He had been given four keys, two of which were identical. Neither of those fit the tower door lock, which turned out to be opened by the larger of the two remaining keys.

The interior of the ship was pitch black and smelled of coal; Zuko hooked the tower door open and stepped into the gloom. He found himself in a short hallway, floored with gratings, ending in a door to the engine room. Closer to the door was a ladder, a hatch in the floor under it and in the roof above it. On the wall was one of the red-glassed coal oil lamps common to Navy ships. Opening up the hinged window in the lamp's chimney, Zuko checked the oil level. The font was full and the wick neatly trimmed, it had obviously been maintained recently. Pinching his fingers over the wick, Zuko lit the lamp and closed the window. Closing the tower door behind him, he set off towards the engine room door.

Zuko's exploration of the ship was thorough and systematic. Beginning at the engine room, he went floor by floor, checking all of the doors. Beneath the engines he discovered a small dock containing a river steamer, nearby he found that the identical keys were for the single cell in the hold of the ship. The hold was also retrofitted with wooden pens to hold komodo-rhinos, there was a coal chute for loading coal, this currently about one third it's capacity and next to this was the catapult in position under the deck, waiting to be winched into place.

The galley and crew mess were just above the base of the tower, in front of the boiler, with a hatch to the storage bay beneath. The storage bay was also accessed from the deck and was neatly shelved, and empty. Crew quarters were also in the tower, on the next floor up, and he found that the ship had a crew capacity of twenty four including officers.

Above the crew quarters the tower narrowed again so that there were only a few rooms per floor. On the first of these narrow floors were petty officer quarters, a tiny office and the washing facilities for officers. The facilities on the ship were rather rudimentary, but nowhere near as bad as they had been on the ferry.

The next floor up was officer quarters, one large bedroom, somewhat furnished and next to it a decent office. This office was locked; fitting the final and smallest key Zuko was given. In the office was a desk, chair and a large chest. The walls were lined with shelving for scrolls and books, wooden sliding doors covered the shelves to stop the contents sliding out with the motion of the ship. The desk was bare, but the shelves were not and Zuko resolved to return here as soon as he was finished searching the last few floors of the tower. He was looking forward to the rest, climbing the ladders and especially lighting the lamps was really tiring and his dizziness wasn't going away.

Relocking the office behind him to start forming a good habit, Zuko ascended to the next floor which was another set of officer quarters but these were bare, as was the office opened to the same small key. Above this last room was the bridge, climbing through the hatch, Zuko set about exploring the room. Dominating the centre was an enormous compass, and arrayed along the walls were the controls for the engines, pressure gauges for the boilers, and speaking tubes for communication with the engine room. On the left side, near the front was the helm. The room had two doors in addition to the hatch which both lead onto the balcony which encircled the top of the tower.

Zuko spent a few minutes enjoying the sea breeze on the balcony before retreating inside to his office. The chest was incredibly heavy and Zuko could barely shift it, curious, he examined the lock. The lock was intricate, but there was no keyhole, instead the lid of the chest appeared to be worked with a series of tubes, one opening where the lock would be and two others on the sides of the lid. This was a firebending lock, and only a firebender who had mastered the breath of fire would be able to open it. Zuko had been taught the breath of fire by his uncle but he had never had to produce the small, precise blast that would be necessary to open the lock.

Seating himself cross-legged in front of the chest, Zuko tried to calm and focus himself on the task. It was almost impossible, his head was throbbing and he was dizzy and sick, his tongue was thick and if he held his hands out they shook slightly. Pushing aside all his body's discomforts, Zuko took a deep breath and concentrated on his inner fire. Feeling slightly steadier, he leaned forward over the chest, his lips hovering close to the mechanism, hands placed to either side.

_Three... Two... One..._

Small jets of flame erupted simultaneously from both index fingers and from between Zuko's lips, travelling up the slender pipes there was a small mechanical click and Zuko quickly lifted the lid before the heat sensitive mechanisms could cool again.

Head swimming, Zuko nearly dropped the lid down again when he saw what was in the chest. Stacked neatly, every twenty wrapped with a red rice-paper seal, were Fire Nation gold pieces, quite possibly Zuko's own weight in gold pieces. Bewildered, Zuko almost missed the neatly folded lotus flower sitting on top of the gold. The paper flower was very delicate looking and from its position, had anyone tried to firebend the lock without the precision Zuko had used, it would have been incinerated. Tugging on one of the petals, Zuko unfolded the flower, feeling torn between amusement at his uncle's antics and irritation; he scanned the short note,

_This is for the maintenance of your ship and the payment of your crew. I have left the previous owner's financial documents to aid you, spend this wisely as I do not know when I will be able to replace it. Be safe._

Zuko smoothed out the fine rice paper note and tucked it into his bag with the letter from this morning. Shutting the chest again, he moved to the shelves to examine the documents his uncle had left him.

Sliding the doors open one by one Zuko checked each shelf, most were empty but he found a few maps which he placed on the desk to read later, a thick ledger which was probably the financial documents his uncle had mentioned and finally, tucked away in a corner on the bottom shelf, a battered journal. A quick thumb through revealed that it was the private journal of the previous captain. A little guilty, Zuko put it back; he might have a look later to see if there was anything relevant in it but for now he didn't feel like snooping.

Setting the ledger to one side, Zuko unrolled the first map, and quickly rolled it back up again. It was a map of the Fire Nation and just holding it made Zuko feel sick with longing. He stuffed the map scroll onto the shelf, next to the journal. Taking a deep breath, Zuko unrolled a second map, this one showed the western coastline of the Earth Kingdom. It looked like a very recent map too; the colonies were marked, as well as the patrol routs for mail ships and scouting vessels. Small annotations in very cramped and messy script adorned a few of the coves and bay's, indicating sources of fresh water or trouble. Eyes as wide as saucers, Zuko studied his prize meticulously, soon, he thought, his own annotations would be added to this map. The thought was exciting as well as a little daunting.

The remaining maps were simply increased detail for sections of the Earth Kingdom western coast, sporting their own annotations in the same hand. Zuko scanned them briefly and then carefully placed all the maps onto a shelf at eye level, arranged so that their labels were facing outwards and in order of scale, then latitude. Pleased with himself, Zuko turned to the ledger.

Flipping it open, Zuko felt an immense relief. One of his tutors had taught him finances and budgeting, preparing him for running a country he supposed, and that had been incredibly complicated. This ledger, however, seemed to just track income and expenditure. Very simple stuff and Zuko was glad, he hadn't been poor at budgeting exactly... it was just very, _very_ boring. Zuko flipped through to the crew's pay, noting the rates paid out to the sailors each month, surprised at how little they earned. Exploring further, he found the recorded expenditure on food, coal and other essential items. Everything listed was for a crew of twenty four, Zuko would be lucky to get half that number. Luckily, the ship didn't need twenty four sailors to function; half of the listed complement was soldiers. However it did mean that Zuko would have to recalculate the required expenditures, extrapolating backwards from the figures in the ledger. He resolved to buy an abacus that night and settled down to read through the rest of the ledger, pleased to find something he understood.

* * *

><p>After turning the last page on the ledger, Zuko stood to stretch, and had to catch himself on the desk as he nearly collapsed. There was a gnawing pit in his stomach and with a jolt, he realised he hadn't eaten anything that day. Zuko set the ledger back on the shelf, and locked his office door before making his way off the ship.<p>

The dock was crowded with evening shoppers and street food vendors, the sun had set already and Zuko found himself wondering where the day had gone. He looked around for a tavern, hoping some of the sailors he was looking for might be inside, but was distracted by the smell of baozi steaming nearby. Pulling some of the change he had received at the inn from his bag, Zuko made his way over to the vendor's cart.

The baozi were large and fluffy, and Zuko bought two. He devoured the first in record time; surprised at his own hunger and a little ashamed that he had forgotten to eat all day. As he was starting on the second, he felt really light headed and a bit sick. Clenching his half-eaten bun a bit too tightly, he put his hand out to steady himself against the vendor's cart, but his depth perception was shot because of his bandaged eye and he came up short. There was a startled shout from just behind him and Zuko pitched forward onto the dock, unconscious.

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><p><strong>Next: <strong>Zuko hates waking up in strange places, Jee is cheeky and somebody gets an action scene!


	3. Thievery part 2

**Wow, ok, this chapter took forever to write. Sorry for the delay :/**

**Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are amazing!**

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><p>Things were not going well for Lieutenant Jee. This morning he had woken up in the street to find some rich kid staring at him. He had no memory of how he'd ended up sleeping there, and worse, his money was gone, either stolen or spent. He stank and his head was throbbing like a herd of komodo-rhinos were stampeding around in there.<p>

The day had not improved when the noon rush arrived, forcing Jee to find somewhere cool and quiet to slink off to. He'd tried one of the bars, but last night must have been a worse night than usual because as soon as he set foot in the place he was accosted by three large, beefy men with a handful of teeth between them. They accused him of cheating them at mah-jong, which was preposterous! Jee never got caught when he cheated. So Jee was forced to make something of a run for it, slipping around the back and over the wall into the backing property. He lost them fairly quickly, stupid meatheads that they were, and decided to just find a quiet spot to sleep down by the docks.

Wedged between a few crates, down the disused end of the dock, Jee smirked in satisfaction as he dozed in the shade.

He stayed there for several hours, sleeping on and off, and when the sun finally started to set, leaving the temperature comfortably sweltering, he set off in search of a meal. That was when he saw the kid again.

There was no mistaking him, rich clothes, head shaved except for a girly looking pony tail and a huge swath of bandages over one half of his face. Jee's mouth twitched with amusement, the kid really did stick out in a crowd.

Jee loitered near a street foot vendor, contemplating various ways of scrounging the coin to buy one of the baozi the man was selling. He watched idly as the kid stuffed his face like he hadn't eaten in a week, the boy had just started on his second bun when he stopped and just stood there dumbly for a few moments. The kid then groped for the stand, missing it completely. He looking like he was seriously unwell and against his better judgement Jee called out to him,

"Hey kid, you ok?"

The words left his mouth just in time to watch the boy slump to the ground in a dead faint. One eyebrow snaking its way up his forehead, Jee was about to move on to a different vendor when he caught sight of the boys face. He must have damaged whatever injury was under the bandage because a bright red stain was spreading across it rapidly.

"I really, _really_ don't want to be involved with this." Jee's mutterings were resigned; he was already making his way over to the boy. Lifting him upright didn't wake him, nor did shaking or slapping him. The boy was out cold and his skin was incredibly hot.

'Firebender' thought Jee, and one with a fever to boot.

Jee hoisted the boy up in his arms, snagging his half eaten baozi as he did so. He remembered seeing an herbalist's a few streets inland, maybe he could leave the kid there and get away before he was _involved_. The kid looked rich enough, paying shouldn't be a problem.

People stared as Jee made his way towards the herbalist and he tried for a look of nonchalance but it didn't feel right and he quickly switched to a glower before his face did something really stupid, like look concerned.

Toeing open the door, Jee entered the herbalist's, "Hey, anyone in here, got a kid who passed out in the street!"

Job done, Jee plonked the kid in a chair by the door and turned to leave, but something on one of the shelves caught his eye, "Couldn't hurt to have a look around," he muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>When the old woman who ran the shop finally hobbled through the beaded curtain that lead to the back room Jee had given up on his pretence and was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest, glower firmly in place.<p>

The woman glanced at Jee enquiringly and he jerked his head at the kid, whose face had taken on a corpselike pallor.

The woman didn't move, simply raised one plucked eyebrow and spoke in a low, rasping voice, "What? You expect me to move him? Get him in the back room." And with that she turned and shuffled back through the doorway.

Jee hefted the boy over his shoulder, manoeuvring carefully through the doorway into the back room. He set him down on a futon a bit more gently than before then quickly backed out of the room. He fully intended to leave, but somehow ended up in the chair by the door, staring blankly at herbs and roots.

He had been waiting for about ten minutes when the old healer's shocked gasp catapulted him out of his chair and through the curtain. What he saw in the other room had him backing up and sitting straight back down again. The boy's face was a mess; nearly half of it had been burned beyond recognition. Before he managed to back out of the room he caught the healer's eyes, she was glaring at him in accusation, but Jee felt too sick to deny anything. The kid couldn't be more than what, twelve? Jee wondered what had happened to him.

Under the horror, Jee felt slightly better knowing that the kid suffered a burn and not some kind of disease. It was a guilty sort of relief, but practical: burns weren't contagious. In any case, there was no way he could leave the kid alone now. He'd never seen a noble with an injury like that, and he wondered where the boy's family was.

Slumped in the chair with his head in his hands, Jee settled back to waiting.

* * *

><p>When Zuko woke it was to the blissful absence of pain, relief immobilized him and he just lay still, relaxed for the first time in days. He cracked open one eye, taking in the fact that he had awoken in yet another strange place. His good mood slightly spoiled, he tried to sit up and figure out where he was. He felt like he was missing time, the last thing he remembered was buying a bun for dinner, yet he would swear that the sun was at about midmorning.<p>

There was a click and a scraping sound and the room was flooded in sunlight, warming Zuko and filling him with a bit more energy. Sitting up properly he noticed the old woman standing by the shutters, hands tucked into her sleeves in a way that reminded Zuko uncomfortably of his uncle.

"How are you feeling young man?" the woman's voice was pleasantly low and rasping.

Zuko cleared his throat, working his tongue in his mouth, "Thirsty," he croaked.

"I'm not surprised, you were severely dehydrated. That's why you collapsed. How much did you drink yesterday?" The old woman handed Zuko a cup, filled with water.

Zuko sipped from the cup slowly, working the liquid around inside his mouth to clear out the cottony feeling, "Uh, I can't remember drinking anything yesterday actually."

The old healer clicked her tongue in disapproval, "That's a nasty burn you have," Zuko flinched, "burns take a lot of fluid to heal properly, you need to make sure you're drinking as much as you can until it heals."

Zuko nodded, not meeting her eyes, and finished his cup.

"Now the nice young man who brought you in is sleeping in my chair and I'm afraid that I can't do much more for you. I've made a whole jar of that salve and I can sell you some more bandages too. Other than that you just need to drink enough and get plenty of rest. And keep it clean! Burns are nasty when they get infected and you don't want that!" the woman shuffled through the beaded curtain, still prattling.

Collecting his things, Zuko stood shakily, he didn't remember anyone bringing him in but he supposed he should thank whoever it was.

Brushing the beaded curtain aside and stepping into the front room of the shop, Zuko was surprised to see the man from the day before, the one who had been sleeping in the street. It seemed he had a talent for sleeping in unusual places because he was currently sprawled in a rickety chair near the doorway, his head was flopped backward and his mouth hung open, his arms were flung out to either side, resting on the windowsill and his legs were stretched out in front of him. It looked like a deeply uncomfortable way to sleep.

Zuko turned to the old woman, who was standing behind the counter with a look of amusement on her face. She had collected together a small ceramic jar and a stack of bandages and was halfway through wrapping it all up in thick hand-made paper. Tying the package shut with some twine, she set it on the counter. Zuko dug in his bag and placed a gold coin in the old woman's wizened palm with a nod. She gave him his change and Zuko packed the coins and the package into his bag.

Turning to face the sleeping man, Zuko cleared his throat. Immediately, one of the man's eyes opened. Zuko flushed a little, embarrassed that this man had seen him collapse like a weakling. He cleared his throat again, "Thank you for your help. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

The man rubbed the back of his neck, then stretched and stood, "Well... I am hungry."

Zuko nodded, heading outside, "Yeah ok, know a place that's good?"

The man followed him after a moment; they walked in silence for a few minutes. The man kept looking at Zuko from the corner of his eye, it was a bit unnerving. He was going to say something when the man spoke, "So what's your name kid?"

Zuko looked at him in surprise, "My name's Zuko... Prince Zuko."

Zuko kept walking for a few more steps before noticing that the man had stopped. Turning, he met the man's eyes, there was some unreadable emotion there and the man wasn't saying anything, or moving, Zuko shifted nervously, "People normally... uh... bow... or something..." he struggled a bit before finding something else to say, "What's your name?"

That seemed to shake the man from whatever was bothering him and he bowed slightly, with a bit of a flourish, "Name's Jee, Lieutenant Jee as a matter of fact, pleased to meet you," he caught Zuko's eye and grinned, "your highness."

Now it was Zuko's turn to stop, and Jee nearly ran into him as he rummaged through his bag, pulling out the list the woman at the Navy Outpost had given him. Running a finger down the list he finally spotted what he was looking for, "Lt. Jee. There! You're currently waiting for a new posting, right?"

"Uh yeah, how did you know? ...Sir." Jee peered down at the list in Zuko's hand.

"I was given this list to draw my crew from, the Fire Navy ship in the harbour? That's mine, I have a mission from the Fire lord, to hunt the Avatar, and I need a crew. Do you know where I can find the rest of these men?" Zuko was excited, everything was coming together. Soon he would have a crew, then he would just need to purchase supplies and he would be ready to begin his mission.

Jee was staring at him, eyebrow raised, "If you don't mind me asking... How old are you?"

Zuko bristled, "Fourteen in eight months. Not that it's any of your business!"

Jee palmed his face, dragging his hand through his hair, "Thirteen... and you're out to hunt the avatar on that old ship with this motley bunch for a crew? Urgh. I need a drink."

Zuko frowned, he may be young, but he was still a prince. This man should respect his position and have more confidence in his ability to complete his mission. When he spoke his voice was low and dangerous, "Are you suggesting, _Lieutenant_, that I am incapable of fulfilling my mission?"

* * *

><p>Jee looked down at the prince, noting the stiff arrogant posture and the angry flush creeping across his face. Forcefully restraining himself from rolling his eyes, he snapped a salute and a crisp, "No sir, wouldn't dream of it sir."<p>

The kid seemed mollified at that and Jee suppressed a groan, his men were so screwed. They'd take one look at him and his girly little ponytail and think this was going to be some kind of holiday, never mind that he's a prince, the son of Fire lord Ozai no less. Yeah, that was going to work well.

'_Looks like Lt. Jee has to step between his worthless, ungrateful, mother-less crew and some pompous, arrogant captain. Again. Wonderful.'_

Crisis averted, the prince started prattling on at him, something about an abacus and some ledgers. Kid like that was far too young to be doing accounting. It's just not natural.

"...So after lunch you can round up the rest of the crew, have them meet me at the ship at sunset." Zuko nodded, apparently satisfied with his plan. Jee hadn't really been listening up until that point so he just nodded as well. Round up the crew? Simple enough and it might give him time to warn them to behave.

Jee had picked out a nice little noodle shop for lunch. They were by far the best noodles this town had to offer but Jee prepared himself for Zuko's tantrum anyway. He'd dined with noble kids before, sons of commanding officers, and they were all horrendously picky eaters.

It was with some surprise then that he watched the boy slurp noodles with both grace and gusto. Jee wondered if it was possible that the prince wasn't as picky as most noble brats, or just still starving from yesterday.

The alarming rate of noodle consumption precluded any conversation, but this was fine by Jee as he was making a mental list of all his old crew mates and their usual hang-outs. The prince finished his bowl well before Jee did and sat there, shifting uncomfortably until Jee glowered at him, "No need for that, I'll meet you at sundown. Thanks for the noodles."

Not needing any further prompting, the boy leapt up, sketched a cursory bow and sped off. Jee settled down to finish his meal, pushing aside his anxieties about this new posting in favour of spicy broth and savoury noodle.

* * *

><p>Settled in his office on the ship, Zuko began the tedious task of counting out the available funds in the chest his uncle had left for him. He hated having to rely on his uncle's charity like this but so far he couldn't think of another option.<p>

Taking note of the final amount and comparing it with the figures in the ledger, Zuko found that he had what amounted to a full year's budget for this ship run at crew capacity.

Using the ledger and given the reduced crew size, Zuko grabbed the abacus he'd purchased after lunch and started calculating his own yearly budget for the ship.

After several hours work, cross referencing against the maps to note which ports he was likely to supply at and their corresponding entries, Zuko felt confident that he would be able to run his ship for a full year and about four months with the money his uncle had left. It would be tight, although if things were very dire he could use some of the funds he had allocated to hunting the Avatar, funds he would use for short trips inland to follow any clues.

Standing and stretching as he felt the sun starting to slip below the horizon, Zuko began repacking the chest. Ten minutes later he was descending the rope ladder to the docks, he could see Lt. Jee standing with a rather sorry-looking collection of Fire Nation sailors. They ranged from middle aged to elderly, and many of them sported tattoos.

Zuko paused before the group, unsure as to how to address them. He stood there helplessly for several moments before Jee looked up and, seeing him, called out.

"Ah, Prince Zuko," he waved his arm around, indicating the group, "your crew, gathered here as requested." He turned to the men, "Boys, this is Prince Zuko, your new captain." His voice took on a dark tone, "Yeah you heard me: he's a prince. So behave yourselves."

As Jee finished speaking all eyes focused on Zuko. He hadn't really been thinking about meeting the crew and was quite unprepared for their attention. He scanned the faces in front of him, becoming more agitated with every pair of eyes he met. He knew he needed to say something or he would lose their respect and he would not allow himself to fail in this.

Drawing on his courtly manners, he straightened, tilted his head slightly and spoke in what he hoped was the direct and commanding tone of a Fire Navy Captain, "You have tonight and tomorrow morning to gather your things and set your affairs in order. Everyone is to be on deck by noon tomorrow."

Having said his piece, Zuko waited for something to happen, either the sailors to leave or someone to ask a question, but they all stayed still, staring at him expectantly. Realizing what he was forgetting, Zuko gave a short nod, "Dismissed."

The men immediately dispersed in small groups and Zuko felt a surge of relief, that hadn't gone too badly at all.

* * *

><p>Jee followed behind the largest group dispersing from the prince's little meeting, listening closely to their grumblings about snotty noble brats and their condescending airs. On a basic level, Jee agreed with them. The prince <em>was<em> a snotty noble brat, he oozed arrogance in everything he did, the way he spoke, dressed even the way he stood just made Jee want to punch him in the face.

But he was their captain now and hating him wouldn't make life any easier for Jee or the crew. Undoubtedly something would have to be done about Zuko before this new ship could ever be a comfortable posting. Jee hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to do it.

* * *

><p>Jee arrived at the ship early the next morning, as he didn't have much to gather, or anything he was leaving behind. The ship was quiet when he boarded, but the tower door was unlocked so Jee let himself in and went in search of the petty officer's quarters. The ship's design was familiar to him and it didn't take long to find the small room and office. Jee packed his things away in the room and decided to head up to the officer's quarters just below the helm and see if the prince was awake yet.<p>

Climbing two floors, Jee rapped lightly on the door, there was no answer and Jee figured the prince must like to sleep in. Shrugging, he figured he'd just go wait in the mess, everyone would gather there eventually.

On his way down he saw the prince, locking the door to the office on that floor. Jee was slightly confused, he would have thought the boy would have taken the best quarters for himself. The boy startled slightly when he caught sight of Jee but smoothed it over with a curt, "Lieutenant."

"Sir." Jee acknowledged, "Anything you need done?"

Zuko looked confused, he looked around, glanced at a few papers he was holding and then looked back at Jee. "Uh... this?" he offered the papers and Jee took them dubiously.

They turned out to be figures, listing the ship's budget for things like food and coal on a yearly, monthly and weekly basis.

"Of course sir, I'll make sure Hideki and Zheng get these figures for you."

The prince looked utterly bewildered but Jee had already started descending to the mess, their new captain would have to learn everyone's name eventually and Jee wasn't going to coddle him.

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><p>The ship was a flurry of activity as the crew prepared to sail, they had not been able to fully supply in Hesan and would have to stop at another port a week north before heading to the Western Air Temple. Zuko had chosen the destination, claiming that the best place to start his search was the Air Temples because there may be clues there as to the whereabouts of the Avatar.<p>

Even after they left port the crew were still uncomfortable and busy. The ship and its crew would need time to get to know one another and in the meantime things were chaotic. People were trying to sort out their bunks, the engineers were learning the temperaments of the boilers and finding the best place to keep their tools and the cook was trying to learn his new galley.

The sum of all this was a noisy, rowdy and inefficient start to their journey. Jee lounged in the mess, unconcerned with the noise and busy working out the shift rosters. He almost didn't notice as Zuko arrived looking extremely unhappy.

"Lieutenant, what is all this noise? Why is everybody shouting and rushing around?"

Jee looked up at the sharp tone and frowned. He knew perfectly well why everyone was acting like this; they have no idea where anything is and are trying to help each other get settled in. He was disappointed that the prince did not seem to grasp this.

"They're just trying to settle in and get to know the ship sir; it'll quiet down soon enough."

The prince narrowed his eyes but said nothing more. He left in the direction of his quarters and Jee was relieved, the last thing the crew needed while they were learning the ship was their captain breathing down their necks.

* * *

><p>Zuko was indeed returning to his room, there was nothing more to be done on the bridge, the helmsman knew their course already, and Zuko did not have any other jobs aboard the ship. As he made his way up towards his floor he heard a squeaking, sliding sound and had just enough time to jump off the ladder into the hallway outside the lieutenant's office before a large, tattooed sailor went sliding down to the crew quarters below. The man didn't even pause, thought he caught his eye so Zuko was sure the man had seen him.<p>

Furious, Zuko descended the ladder, looking for the man. He found him chatting with a few others in a corner of the mess hall. They appeared to be talking about nothing in particular and certainly nothing important enough for the man to be in such a rush.

Marching up to the group, Zuko drew himself up and tried to move with the confidence he'd seen in his father, whom people obeyed and respected.

Zuko pointed at the offending sailor, "You nearly knocked me off the ladder on your way down here!"

The man turned and forced an incredibly insincere smile, "Sorry, didn't see you there _…sir_."

Frowning, Zuko struggled to think of what he could do. The man obviously thought he was going to get away with this, that Zuko was not worthy of his respect. But what could he do about it? He barely had enough crew as it was, he couldn't just put the man off the ship for one misdemeanour.

Sneering at the sailor, Zuko voiced his decision, "You can take a double watch duty for the next month then, to improve your attentiveness." He then turned and left the room for the second time.

On his way out he thought he saw Lt. Jee shake his head a little, but he couldn't be sure.

* * *

><p>They docked at the port of Manyu late on the seventh day; the transaction for the rest of their supplies was quick but the loading would take some hours yet and Zuko retreated to his room to sleep. His head still ached, though the salve helped and he was frequently tired. He hoped this weakness would leave him soon as he couldn't afford to stop his training for too much longer.<p>

The burn had recently scabbed over completely and Zuko decided to leave off his bandage while he slept, to let it breath.

He slept for a few hours, waking at sunset. As he left for his office, thinking he might finally take a look at that journal, he noticed something was wrong. The door to his office was dented, the lock busted. Pushing it open, Zuko took stock of the room. It was seemingly untouched; nothing was knocked over or misplaced but it seemed off somehow, like the room was bigger than it used to be. Looking again, Zuko realized why the proportions of the room seemed wrong, the chest was missing.

The blood draining from his face and his heart pounding with anxiety, Zuko slid down the ladder to Lt. Jee's quarters. The door was ajar and Zuko pushed it open without knocking.

The lieutenant looked up from where he was polishing his armour, startled. His eyes locked on Zuko's face and he paled.

"Prince Zuko..?" he began.

But Zuko cut him off, "The chest is gone! Do you know where it could be?"

Lt. Jee raised an eyebrow and schooled his shocked expression into something more sober, "Gone, or taken?" He sounded as though he already knew.

Zuko frowned, "Taken, I suspect. The door was forced. Do you know anything about this?"

Lt. Jee closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to come to a decision, piercing Zuko with a stare he stated calmly, "I suspect you'll find them in the tavern, you need to deal with this Prince Zuko, before it gets out of hand."

Gaping a little Zuko acknowledged that Jee was right. He hadn't managed to secure the crew's respect and there had been discipline problems for the last four days. If he didn't want to find himself facing a mutiny, he would have to deal with this, decisively. With purpose and a little desperation, Zuko turned and fled the ship. He ran blindly in the direction of the tavern. It wasn't hard to find, Zuko could hear the sound of drunken laughter from his ship, even this early in the evening.

He raced up the steps, barely pausing as he burst through the flimsy wooden sliding door. Skidding to a stop he looked around the room, the tavern was dim and moderately full. The tables were low and rough with long benches for seating. Near the centre of the room two tables had been pushed together and the man from the ship was standing on a bench on the other side of the table from where Zuko had burst into the room, laughing and calling for another round. He was large and muscular with heavy tattooing on his shoulders that extended down one arm and up his neck. Next to him on the floor was Zuko's chest, the locking mechanism smashed and the lid propped open. Around the table were several other faces Zuko vaguely recognized from his ship.

Lip curling in anger and determination, Zuko started towards the table, picking up speed as he went. Even as he ran, he had no idea what he was actually going to do when he reached the man, who hadn't reacted to his entrance. As he neared the bench at a sprint he planted one foot, launching himself forward across the table.

Hitting the man with a diving tackle Zuko grabbed him by the throat, and drove him to the ground. They landed heavily, the breath whooshing from the lungs of the larger man as Zuko landed on top of him, his knees driving into the man's ribs. As the breath left the man's lungs, Zuko tightened his grip on his throat.

The man clawed at Zuko's hand, but he had no breath and was beginning to panic.

"Thief! You lying, traitorous thief!"

Zuko was screaming, so it took him a little while to realize that the man under him wasn't. The man's eyes rolled and his mouth gaped in a soundless scream, arms flailing weakly at Zuko's wrist. Then Zuko noticed the smell.

It was an awful and terrifyingly familiar smell and Zuko gagged. He quickly scrambled off the man, leaning to one side, retching. As he straightened, he glanced back to make sure the man wasn't going to hit him, that's when he noticed the burn. It was a small, blistering handprint that curled around the man's throat.

Zuko stared at his hands in horror, eyes watering, trying not to collapse or vomit. Snapping his head up, he looked around the now silent tavern. Everyone was staring at him.

He stumbled backwards into the table and, catching sight of two of the men from his ship, pointed at them, "You, and you, grab that chest and bring it to my quarters. The rest of you had better be on the ship ready to leave by dawn, including him." He gestured at the gasping figure behind him.

With two crewmen following him, carrying the chest, Zuko barely managed to walk to his quarters and shut the door before he threw up and collapsed, shivering onto his futon. Eyes squeezed shut, his face throbbing and itching where the scab had cracked, leaking blood, Zuko felt his face burning.

He felt the cool stones of the arena under his knees, the sound of his pleading and his father's words of reprimand. He felt the heat and felt his flesh blister. With his own screams, real and remembered, ringing in his ears, Zuko wept until he passed out.

* * *

><p>That morning there was a new story circulating the port town of Manyu, a story that told of a child, a demon, with half of his face cracked and bleeding, leaping on a man in the tavern and choking him with a flaming hand. The men sitting with crewman Mung in the medical suite on Prince Zuko's ship told the story quietly among themselves, and when they glimpsed the white bandages encircling their friend's neck, they shivered.<p>

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><p><strong>Next Time: <strong>Zuko has problems with his firebending, Mung deals with the aftermath of his thievery.

**A/N:** I've made a minor change to this chapter because I sensed that I was going to have major timeline issues unless I fixed things now: Instead of being four days north of Hesan, Manyu is now seven days north.


	4. Sources part 1

**Thanks to my reviewers, you guys are awesome! Sorry about the delay, I had to rewrite the entire first part of this T_T**

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><p>Zuko woke just before dawn, feeling just as tired as he was when he fell asleep. His head was throbbing and his mouth was filled with the bitter taste of bile. As he emerged fully into consciousness the events of the previous day came back to him in a painful rush. Groaning and clutching his head, Zuko swung his legs over the side of his futon and just sat, staring at his toes.<p>

It was still dark in his quarters and Zuko briefly considered lighting the lamp, but he felt like a wreck and it was just too much effort. He stayed there, staring at his feet for an indeterminate stretch of time, just staring, trying not to think or feel. When the first blush of pink predawn light crept in through his window, Zuko could no longer justify staying locked up in his room. He was a prince and a captain and he had responsibilities.

Firming his resolve, Zuko finally stood up. Working in the dark he stripped and rubbed himself down with a moist cloth. He found his pot of salve by touch and slathered the thick pungent paste over his wound, wrapping it in what he hoped were clean bandages. Once he was dressed and had piled all his dirty things in a corner he was nicely distracted from the awful yawning pit that threatened to engulf him every time he though about the previous night.

Feeling more alert and capable, Zuko moved to the closest lamp and pinched the wick in his fingers to light it. Nothing happened. He tried again and this time there was a small wisp of smoke. It took him three more tries to finally produce a spark that would catch on the coal oil soaked wick. Zuko started at his hands, holding them away from his body, he had the horrible sensation that they weren't his hands at all, that they belonged to someone else, a non-bender's hands. His hands had betrayed him. Fighting a sick and overwhelming horror, Zuko tried to shoot a small fireball at his window; all he got was a pathetic puff of smoke.

Seating himself on the edge of his futon, hands held out in front of himself, Zuko felt the cold chill of dread creeping up his spine. _He couldn't bend! Why couldn't he bend?_ These two questions circled in his mind, eventually condensing down to _can't bend, can't bend_ thumping through his mind with every beat of his heart. His head was swimming and it was all Zuko could do not to throw up again. Sucking in a deep breath, he tried to calm himself.

Zuko tried to think this through rationally. If he could come up with an explanation for why he couldn't bend, then surely it would be clear what he had to do to get it back! He thought about the last time he had done any firebending. He hadn't done any serious bending since… he had left… the most strenuous bit of firebending would be last night… with the thief… and the smell… Shuddering, and feeling himself about to retch, Zuko shut down that line of thought. He wasn't ready to face that yet.

Thinking further Zuko realized that he hadn't been meditating regularly either, perhaps that was the problem. Resolving to spend a few hours this morning in meditation, Zuko stood and was about to open his door when there was a knock on the other side.

Zuko started in surprise, then unbolted the heavy cam lock, pulling open the hatch. Standing on the other side of the portal was an old man, bald but sporting a scraggly goatee, his head was bowed slightly and he was holding a tray containing a covered bowl and a lidded gaiwan.

"Your breakfast, Prince Zuko." The old man bowed and Zuko stepped back to allow him into the room. The old man shuffled forward and set his tray down on a low table across from the doorway. Out of the corner of his eye Zuko saw him covertly scan the room as he did, eyes lingering on the pile of clothes in the corner.

Watching him leave; Zuko felt deeply unnerved. He vaguely recognized the man, having seen him around the ship, but he hadn't noticed the interest in his room before. As he locked his hatch again Zuko scanned his room himself.

To his right was his window, flanked by two of his four red-glass lamps. Under the window were a meditation table with four unlit candles on it and an enormous dragon mask. The table had a drawer in it which contained a rather nice writing kit. Across from the door was a low table which currently held Zuko's breakfast, his pot of salve and some extra bandages; above the table was a pair of Dao broadswords and their sheath, and under the table was the busted chest that held the gold Zuko's uncle had given him; since his office door had yet to be repaired. To either side of the table were wall hangings in red and black. Underneath one of these, stuffed into the corner, was a pile of clothing, Zuko's dirty things from yesterday. To Zuko's left was his futon, flanked by the remaining two red-glass lamps; behind the futon was a larger wall hanging. The floor was plated in metal sheets, with grates near the door and under the table, there were several reed mats placed down in the centre of the room and under the futon. Against the wall that held the door, nearest his futon, was a large chest containing Zuko's personal effects.

Relaxing slightly to see that everything was still in its place and there was nothing particularly valuable on display; aside from the busted chest, Zuko began his breakfast. Lifting the lid from the gaiwan he was hit with the strong aroma of oolong, the rich, woody scent reminded him painfully of his uncle. Face twisting, he drank down the scalding tea without tasting it and replaced the lid.

The covered bowl contained a lightly spiced jook, with little pieces of seaweed mixed through it. Zuko armed himself with his chopsticks and shovelled the food into his mouth methodically, it tasted nice but he didn't really care, he just ate as fast as possible. When he was done he replaced the cover on the bowl, set down his chopsticks and placed the tray outside his door for collection.

With breakfast out of the way, Zuko went to his meditation table. Lighting the candles was a trial, he could barely make a spark but he refused to light them from one of the already lit lamps. He was a firebender, he should be able to light a candle.

Seating himself cross-legged on the low meditation stool, Zuko reached out to the candle flames with his inner fire, calming his breathing to try and draw the flame's breath into his own. He knew immediately that something was wrong. His inner fire felt sick. He could feel the candle flames, that much he was certain of, four little heartbeats that called to him beautifully. He could feel them but when he reached for his own inner fire it felt wrong. Instead of the calm, powerful flame he was used to, there was a twisted, foul coal smouldering in his heart.

Reaching for it anyway, ignoring his misgivings, Zuko dug into this new source, it was strong, incredibly so. Wielding it made Zuko feel powerful and satisfied, the same way he felt whenever he scored some small victory over his sister. He felt dangerous. It was a heady feeling but when he reached for the flames to pull them into his breathing he felt the difference. The flames which were like heartbeats, something to be coaxed, were resisting. He felt as though he would be able to bend the flame if he forced it, but it was strange and different. He'd never had to force the fire before and he didn't like the feel of it. The very idea left a slimy feeling in his gut.

Zuko struggled with himself, his bending was so weak right now and he knew it would be better if he used this new source, but it felt wrong and dangerous. Eventually, unable to make up his mind he broke his meditative state. Standing shakily, he could feel that coal smouldering within himself. Face twisting in disgust, he tried to bend a small fireball.

The fire came but it was slightly wild, he hadn't meant to catch anything on fire, but one of his wall hangings caught anyway. It wasn't difficult to put it out, but the scorch mark it left behind mocked him.

Growling in frustration, Zuko unbolted his door and made his way outside. Moving through the mess he ignored the men and strode onto the deck. It was deserted and Zuko marched forcefully towards the prow. Halting about halfway he dropped into a bending stance and slid through one of his basic forms. His movements were sharp and angry and the fire was wild. Utterly frustrated with his lack of control, Zuko ran the form again.

Each time he produced his fire it was wild and this lack of control made him angry with himself. The angrier he became the hotter and stronger the fire, but it was no more controlled than before, prompting further repetitions and more frustration. This cycle could have continued all day were it not for Zuko's Lieutenant.

* * *

><p>Jee watched the prince storm through the mess hall in high dudgeon, he watched the men shy away and conversation drop off as the boy passed. The story behind Mung's stay in the infirmary had passed swiftly amongst the crew and Jee noted their wariness with interest.<p>

Making up his mind to follow the prince and find out what he was up to, Jee left the mess hall to lurk in the doorway to the tower and watch the boy. He saw him stride across the deck and stop halfway, dropping into a perfect firebending stance. The prince flew through a form Jee recalled vaguely from his own training, fire streaming from his fists and feet. Jee could hear the prince's clothing snap with the force of his movements. When the boy finished the set he immediately began it again. He repeated the same form five times, each movement crisp and forceful.

Shifting his gaze to the boys face, he took note of the prince's expression. He looked furious and Jee nodded to himself. His firebending was powerful, and everyone knew that bending was fueled by anger, it only made sense that the prince would be so enraged.

When Zuko began the set a sixth time, Jee stepped out of the doorway. The movement caught the prince's attention and he spun around, hand out in an aggressive bending stance.

"Nice work Prince Zuko, could I have a word with you, sir?" This Mung situation needed to be dealt with quickly, Jee thought, even though Mung himself has been... _punished_... there's still the matter of the stolen money and making sure the crew know what happened.

Zuko relaxed out of his stance and swiped at the sweat that was running down his forehead and irritating the scab under his bandage. "Um... yes? Sure. I'll meet you in my office."

Jee watched the boy stride past without waiting for an answer, he still hadn't made up his mind about the prince, but he couldn't deny that the boy was powerful. It would be in the crew's, and therefore Jee's, best interests not to piss him off.

Jee made his way up the ladder to Zuko's office, making a mental note to get Zheng on to fixing the door. The prince was already seated when he arrived, looking slightly out of place behind the large desk. Jee was struck by how small he looked and, taking a closer look, how tired and stressed.

Leaning against the busted door Jee folded his arms and spoke plainly, "I heard about what happened with Mung last night," here Zuko's eyes skittered away and he looked a bit sick, Jee filed the information away for future consideration, "I don't know if that was the right way to handle that situation or not... regardless, you're not finished. You need to tell the crew what happened, why one of their number is laid up in the infirmary. Did you find out how much he took?"

The prince paled as Jee spoke, shaking his head as he finished his question, "No I haven't counted it again, but I have the figure that it should be after our resupply. It wont be hard to find out." Here he paused and looked uncomfortably at Jee, "What do you think I should do about it? Make him pay it back?"

Jee frowned in consideration, the usual penalty was to dock it from his pay, but there was no telling how much he had stolen and the idea of Mung being so in debt that he would never work it off held no appeal. "We'll find out how much it is first, if its not too much you can dock it from his pay- that's the usual thing to do - if its much more than a years pay then we'll have to think of something else."

Jee watched the prince consider his words, he was pleased that the boy had asked his advice on the matter and that he seemed to actually be listening to it, their last captain had not been so... wise. After a few minutes, the prince stood and made to leave, "Okay, that seems fair, I'm going to go count then, I suppose... tell the men I'll speak with them tonight?"

Shrugging as he straightened, Jee pushed open the door, "Yes sir, I'll tell them to gather in the mess after dinner."

The prince just nodded and pushed open the door to his quarters, shutting it behind him. Jee heard the cam lock engage and frowned, wondering how badly Mung's idiocy had damaged the boy's trust.

Pondering this, Jee made his way up the ladder. Liu was at his post, alert and relaxed at the helm. Jee glanced at the pressure gauge for the main boiler as he made his way over to stand next to him.

"Everything running smoothly Liu?"

Liu immediately straightened, plastering a look of serious concentration on his face, "Oh, uh... yes lieutenant... no problems!"

Jee rolled his eyes, "Come on Liu, there's no need for that. Have you spoken to him at all? He's not like the last captain. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Liu glared at Jee, moustache twitching, "Ha! That's what you say! But what happens after this one eh? Eh? I get transferred to army is what!" He turned away, grumbling.

Jee chuckled, patting his friend on the shoulder, "Trust me Liu, you take the Prince wherever he wants to go, like one of his little palanquins back home, and he'll leave you alone completely. Just don't do anything stupid eh? Like that poor bastard Mung."

Liu gave a huff and a sly smile, "I'm not that dumb Jee, you know that. Stupid prick, there was no way he was going to get away with that! Ha! What, did he just want to test the waters for us? A sacrificial koala-lamb?"

Jee seriously considered the question, Mung wasn't terribly bright, but he'd been around a while and pulled off better shit than this. Maybe Liu was on to something, if so he doubted Mung was happy with the price he had paid for his reconnaissance.

He glanced at Liu, who had relaxed back into an easy posture and hoped he wasn't mistaken about the prince.

* * *

><p>That evening, after dinner, Zuko addressed his crew for the second time. In their element on his ship they didn't look nearly so motley. In fact, they looked quite comfortable and competent.<p>

Zuko hated public speaking, he had never gotten the hang of it the way his sister had, manipulating a crowd was just not something that came naturally to him. Standing at the front of the room, scanning the faces in front of him Zuko felt exhausted. His scabbing injury was itching and he had a pounding headache. He had been avoiding thinking about this whole... _thing_... all day and it was staring to get to him. He had placed himself next to the door, for a quick escape, and briefly pondered doing just that.

Taking a deep breath, he began.

"You probably all know that Mung is in the infirmary. The reason for this is that he has stolen from me, and by extension, from all of you. The money that Mung stole was not my personal funds, it was the funds for the repair and maintenance of this ship, the purchasing of food and supplies and your pay for the next year.

"Now, luckily for everyone the amount that was spent before I arrived is small, approximately two months of pay. Lieutenant Jee has suggested that I recoup the funds from Mung's pay, but it was not just Mung who was benefiting from this stolen money. I will be docking the pay of Mung and the other men who were with him until the debt is repaid. I think that this is more than fair, but if anybody has a problem they can direct their complaint to either myself or Lt. Jee. Dismissed."

As soon as he had finished speaking, Zuko ducked out of the door behind him, retreating to his room. But when he arrived he felt the oppressive weight of the previous day's events suffocating him, he couldn't deal with that yet. When he heard footsteps on the ladder ascending to the floors above him he left his room again, making his way to the helm.

The door to the balcony was open and the warm glow of the sunset in front of them beckoned invitingly. Stepping past the helmsman, Zuko made his way out, gripping the railing loosely, he shut his eye and tilted his face into the warmth.

Standing there, eyes shut with the warmth of the sun on his face, Zuko felt slightly more able to deal with everything that had happened. He had maimed someone. Probably permanently. He had maimed them in much the same way that he had been... hurt. Did the man deserve it? Did he deserve to be maimed? Did _he _deserve this? This wasn't about Mung anymore and Zuko felt his breath catch. His father had been right... to... do what he did. He must be right, because if he wasn't right... then... no. He was right and that meant Zuko was wrong.

Head hanging forward Zuko clutched tighter at the railing. The Avatar, that was his ticket home. If he captured the Avatar it wouldn't matter anymore. He would go home and everything would be back the way it should be.

His conviction reassured, Zuko tried to relax. He took deep, calming breaths as though he were meditating and released his grip on the railing.

When the sun finally set, Zuko left the railing and moved back inside. His motivation secure he was deeply interested in their progress towards the Western Air Temple.

Making his way over to the map he spoke without turning, "Where are we currently?"

The helmsman started slightly and Zuko heard him shuffle over, "Here sir," he jabbed a finger onto the map with confidence, "about three weeks from the Western Air Temple."

Zuko studied the map, noting the position of the temple and their ship. A small island caught his eye, it was unlabeled.

"What's this island?"

"Oh, uh. I don't know sir, part of the Fire Nation I think, but nobody lives there." The man straightened his hat and shuffled back to his post.

"When I'm done at the Western Air Temple we will be stopping at that island before we begin our journey back to the Earth Kingdom coast."

The helmsman looked both surprised and relieved, which Zuko found strange. Not waiting for the man's reply he left the helm, retreating to his room to meditate.

His short bout of training this morning had left him more tired than he would like to admit, and though his moves were fine, he still had much less control than he was used to. Worse though was that he knew his aim was off. It was his bandaged eye, with only one eye to see out of his depth perception was shot.

He hoped that when he finally took the bandages off for good he'd be able to see from his left eye. He hadn't opened it last night, despite not having his bandages on. The lid was gummed shut from the cracking and healing scabs around it and he didn't want to risk opening anything up again. He was tremendously lucky that it hadn't been infected so far.

Zuko tried to meditate but now that the train of thought was begun it was no use, he could think of nothing else. Abandoning the meditation he stripped out of his clothes - kicking them to the corner - and donned his sleep pants. _I don't want to be a cripple._

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><p>Mung left the infirmary late in the evening the day after he was admitted. His neck, smeared in ointment and swathed in bandages, ached horribly, as did his hangover. When he had arrived in the boiler room for his shift, Zheng, the Head Engineer had laughed and asked if he had enjoyed being taken out by a little boy. More seriously Zheng had told him that his pay was being docked, along with Hyo, Ryu and Shiro's for everything they had taken.<p>

When his shift was done and Mung returned to his room he unwound the bandages from his neck to have a look in the polished metal mirror next to his bunk. The injury was still coated in a light green salve, but underneath it he could see the shape of a small hand encircling his neck. The burn was fairly deep and Mung knew it would scar.

Humiliated, Mung re-wrapped his burn and lay on his bunk. Staring at the ceiling and feeling the gentle rocking of the ship he wondered if he should count himself lucky that the kid didn't kill him. Snarling, he punched a fist into the metal plating of the ship.

The brat would pay for this.

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><p><strong>Next Time:<strong> Zuko visits the Western Air Temple and learns a few things.

**A/N:** I've made a minor change to this chapter because I sensed that I was going to have major timeline issues unless I fixed things now: Instead of Manyu being a day and a half from the Western Air Temple, it's now three weeks.


	5. Sources part 2

**A/N: **I had always intended to stretch my timeline out a little more than the series does and I've realised that I needed to have started doing this back in chapter 1 (Banished). I apologize profusely for my inattention, I should have known better. Therefore some changes have been made to some but not all of the previous chapters, any changes in a chapter are summarized at the bottom of that chapter, so you don't have to read the whole thing again, and I'll list them all again here:

Hesan is now three weeks from the Fire Nation capital, not four days.

Manyu is now a week north of Hesan, not four days.

Western Air Temple is now three and a half weeks from Manyu, not a day and a half.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys make me so happy! Also thank you to people who are reading and don't review, you guys are cool too! Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, I have no idea why but it has just been so difficult to write. Also life.

Thanks go to **ArrayePL** this chapter, your PM is what finally made me push through this block. Thanks for the encouragement!

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><p>It was early afternoon when the ship finally weighed anchor just off the coast of the large island that held the old Air Nomad lands and the Western Air Temple. Zuko watched them approach from the balcony near the helm, which was quickly becoming his favourite spot on the ship. Nobody really came up this far except Helmsman Liu, Lieutenant Jee and himself. Because of this it was a nice quiet spot to simply be alone, even the helmsman's nervous silence didn't bother him so much. It was preferable to the tense silence of the rest of the crew; whenever Zuko approached the men they would stop all conversation, eyeing him. The strange behavior had Zuko on edge and avoiding his crew.<p>

Zuko had made his preparations the night before, a small bag of food, water and some useful supplies, and stowed them on the river steamer in preparation. He would have to make this journey alone - he didn't trust any of the men to come with them except maybe Jee, but he needed his lieutenant to stay here keep the ship under control. Much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure he could trust his crew and the looks they gave him on the rare occasion that he left his room certainly didn't reassure him.

With a final glance at the towering cliffs and peaks of the Western Air Temple, Zuko sighed and made his way down to the river steamer. The little boat was already hooked up to the winch, with Zheng and another engineer, Tachi, standing by waiting to lower it into the water.

It was only a few minutes boat trip to the coast. He was coming in to the beach at the low end of high tide, which meant that once the boat was beached, he wouldn't be able to move it himself until the tide rose again in about ten hours. This didn't worry him too much, he figured he would need a long time to arrive at, and thoroughly search the temple and he didn't want to be rushed.

The beach that Zuko had chosen was one of the few sandy coves available. It was on the south side of the island which was the closest to where Zuko's map told him the temple would be. Despite the close landing it would still take at least three hours to climb to the temple.

The path leading up from the beach was little more than a goat track through the dense jungle that covered the southern slope. As he walked, Zuko let his mind wander over the last four-and-a-bit weeks.

Despite the length of time they had been sailing, Zuko still didn't know the first thing about his crew. The only ones he'd ever really had a proper conversation with were the helmsman, and Jee, his lieutenant. This was mostly due to his habit of eating in his room and spending all his time either sitting in his room meditating, working in his office or standing on the helm's balcony.

He hadn't done any serious firebending on the three week journey, his bending was very unstable, some days he would be fine, others he would struggle to light his lamps. It was frustrating and embarrassing and he was afraid that his bending would cut out halfway through a training session, he wasn't sure what he would do if his crew saw that.

_They already don't respect me. How much worse would things be if they knew that I couldn't even bend properly?_

Zuko was startled from his grumpy musings when his foot caught in a root, tripping him and pitching him forward. He landed hard on the root-knotted ground, hands outstretched to break his fall. His left hand landed awkwardly, half-on-half-off a jutting root and pain flared in his wrist.

Zuko rolled onto his back and cradled his wrist to his chest, sucking air through his teeth, he lay on the jungle floor for several moments, seething. He had to have the _worst _luck in the history of the Fire Nation!

Hauling himself to his feet with his right hand, the left still pressed to his chest protectively, Zuko trudged forward once more. As he walked he prodded at his wrist; it was slightly swollen but it didn't hurt as much as he thought it should when he poked it so he supposed it probably wasn't broken. The heel of his palm was purple though, and a bit scraped up. Brushing the dirt away, Zuko fished out his waterskin and washed out the scrape, wrapping it in one of his spare bandages.

_Worst. Luck. Ever. _Jungles were notorious for their diseases, and Zuko had gone and cut himself.

_Oh well done Zu-zu! _The voice in his head, mocking him, sounded uncannily like Azula. _Won't that look good then, coming back to Lt. Jee, delirious with some disgusting jungle fever. 'What happened Prince Zuko?' he'll say, 'Oh nothing lieutenant, I just tripped over my own enormous feet!' Urgh._

Caught up in his own imagination, Zuko barely noticed as he broke the tree line, emerging onto a plateau at about the elevation of the temple. He'd been walking for nearly two hours so far and the sun was starting to cool off as the day moved towards evening.

The trip across the plateau was uneventful, if tedious. There was no shade and even the late afternoon sun was starting to take its toll. Zuko felt weak and ill, but it wasn't as bad as the day he collapsed on the dock so he kept trudging.

When he finally reached the Western Air Temple he almost didn't realize it. He arrived at the edge of the cliff tired, thirsty and hot and spent several moments staring across the chasm blankly before he remembered what his maps had said.

Blinking himself out of his stupor, Zuko started fishing in his pack. A few moments later he was tying off a length of rope to one of the sturdier looking trees. His knotwork wasn't fantastic, but he was pretty sure it wasn't going to give way. A little giddy, he took hold of the rope, wrapping it around himself for rappelling, and stepped off the cliff.

It was hard work and Zuko's hands were slick with sweat by the time he got his first look at the temple. The annotations on his map had not done it justice, this place was truly bizarre.

The temple was composed of several towers, suspended upside-down from the underside of the cliff. It was almost vertigo inducing. Sliding further down the rope to get a good arc, Zuko adjusted his grip and began to swing. He needed enough momentum to reach one of the tower ledges. He hadn't picked the worst spot, but he hadn't picked the easiest either: the nearest shelf was about ten feet away.

After he had built up his momentum, Zuko waited until he was at the top of his arc and then let go. As the ledge sped towards him, Zuko wrapped his arms around his head protectively. When he landed, it was on his side. He slid several feet across the stone, tumbling painfully.

Grimly, Zuko picked himself up. His rope was swinging gently off the edge of the platform, it would be nearly impossible to retrieve from this level, but higher up where he hadn't been able to get an arc to swing, it was much closer, he'd leave from there.

Leaving himself enough time to return to his boat for high tide gave Zuko four hours to search. The temple was composed of several towers, suspended upside down from the roof of the canyon, as well as a network of tunnels and balconies worked into the stone of the canyon wall. It was difficult to see from where he stood how the towers might be connected and Zuko decided to search the tunnels first.

As he was walking through the temple, Zuko couldn't shake a pervading feeling of uneasiness. It wasn't until he was about to leave the open spaces for the tunnels that he realized why he was so uncomfortable.

_Where are the training grounds? The military complexes? These buildings just look like houses._

Zuko had learned all his life about the Air Nomad armies, about how Sozin defeated them with the help of the comet. He had been expecting to see some evidence of the battle here, but there was nothing. No weapons, though surely not all the Nomads were benders? No training spaces or practice yards big enough to hold more than a handful. It was strange.

_Maybe it's all in the tunnels. That wouldn't make much tactical sense... but they did lose right? Maybe they just weren't very good._

Searching the tunnels took Zuko several hours. The whole temple was unnervingly deserted. The only sign that anything had happened here were scorch marks on the walls and floors of some of the buildings. There were no weapons or armour left, no forlorn skeletons, never put to rest. It was as though the temple had been cleaned. The thought was both unnerving and slightly exhilarating.

_Who could have cleaned this place, but the Avatar? He must have come here and laid the soldiers who died to rest._

With an hour to spare before he needed to head back to the river steamer, Zuko decided to search some of the larger buildings, just in case there was something else he could learn. The first building he chose to search through was the one nearest his rope, as he didn't know how long it would take.

Searching the building was much more difficult than searching the tunnels, there were many rooms, and they were tiny. In fact, now that he really thought about it, everything was tiny. All the furniture in these rooms was in miniature. Like children's rooms.

The thought was slightly unnerving.

In the next room he came to, Zuko noticed something. Underneath the shelf bed was a small, faded scrap of orange fabric. Ducking down to check under the bed, Zuko recoiled with shock.

Curled up under the bed was the tiny, desiccated form of a child.

Pressed against the opposite wall, Zuko couldn't move. Suddenly he understood what should have been so obvious from the beginning.

He had always been told of the Air Nomad armies, but the Air Temples were just that, temples. It had never occurred to him that this, as well as the fact that there were **no Air Nomads left** meant that it wasn't just the armies that Firelord Sozin had destroyed. Children had died.

_Firelord Sozin hadn't just defeated an army, he'd slaughtered a people._

It was so obvious, when you thought about it. But nobody did. He certainly hadn't. Zuko felt a cold steal thought his limbs, creeping up his spine. For the first time in his life he was... ashamed. Of his people, of what they had done.

Night had well and truly fallen by the time Zuko was able to move from his place in that room. He stood, stiffly and made his way to the rope. He had only just enough time to make the trip back to his boat.

The climb was difficult and dangerous, but for Zuko it passed in a numb blur. He had always been so sure, so confident in his nation's' rightness, in the justice of the war. War was ugly, people died and land was burned, it was not glorious. But it was honorable, to fight for your nation.

There was nothing honorable in the slaughter of children.

As Zuko made his way down to the boat, he wondered if his father knew, if his uncle did, and what they thought of this.

When Zuko reached his river steamer the tide was high under the moonlight. He could see the lights of his ship in the distance, and felt himself relax slightly, though he hadn't been aware of the tension.

Zuko pushed the steamer into the water and lit the lights on board. As he made his way toward the ship he heard them preparing for his arrival. The engineers, Tachi and Zheng were waiting to winch his boat on board when Zuko maneuvered around to the rear of the ship and he was so relieved to be back on board his ship, where things made sense, that he actually smiled at them. Just a little bit.

When his boat was secured, Zuko wearily ascended the tower to his room and, locking the door behind him, collapsed onto his bed without even removing his armour.

* * *

><p>Jee hadn't been on duty when Zuko returned last night. It was something of a pity; he'd heard from Zheng that the prince had actually <em>smiled<em> when he came on board. Jee wasn't too upset though, he'd been pleasantly sleeping and a few hours of decent shut eye were worth missing one of the prince's rare good moods.

Despite the prince's obvious misgivings, the crew had been perfectly well behaved while he was gone. Unfortunately for him, Jee suspected that this was _because _he was gone.

It's not that the crew were hostile towards the prince, they were just dangerously indifferent. It was obvious why; Zuko never joined them for meals, he never visited the mess hall, he barely made an appearance on deck. In fact the only crew members who even _saw _him on a regular basis were Liu, the helmsman, and Wei, the old man who brought him his meals.

Jee honestly didn't have any idea why the prince was acting like this. He'd had terrible captains before, but never so uninvolved, it was bizarre. Every commander to come out of the Caldera seemed to be the same: micromanaging dictators who seemed to get off on ordering people around. The prince, whom he had expected to personify the current doctrine, was pretty much the opposite.

_Well, that isn't entirely accurate. When he **is** around he manages to bark orders like the rest of them._

Frowning, he made his way to the helm. Liu was looking tense at his post and as Jee looked around, he spotted the prince standing at the railings. Their course had turned south this morning, toward the small island that Zuko had ordered them to visit. The line of the prince's shoulder was taut and he was gazing out over the ocean as though he were trying to see all the way to the island, or perhaps the Fire Nation beyond it.

Clearing his throat to announce his presence, Jee addressed the prince, "We're making good time, Prince Zuko. We should reach the island in just under a week."

Zuko turned to face him, wearily. He looked like hell, his bandage was spotted with blood near the centre and his other eye was bloodshot, with a shadow underneath it that suggested that the prince had not had a good night.

_So much for that good mood._

"Have the engineers prepare the river boat for another excursion. I want to search this island for signs of the Avatar." The prince turned away again, looking out across the ocean, "If I find no sign of him there then we travel north."

Jee stood silently for a few minutes, just watching the prince. The tension never left him and eventually the boy turned and made his way back to his room. Jee grimaced, he didn't know what the boy did in there all day, and frankly, he didn't really **want **to know either.

Raising an eyebrow he watched Liu visibly relax with the absence of their captain, the nervous man turned and gave Jee a woeful look, "Did you hear that? North. This quest of his is going to get us all killed."

Jee palmed his forehead, sliding his hand down his face he closed his eyes and sighed, "I'll talk to him. Maybe it's only as far as Yu Dao."

* * *

><p>The week spent traveling to the island was not a pleasant one for Zuko. He had so much to think about and he wasn't sure he was the right person to be working everything out. Zuko knew that he wasn't very clever and he was afraid of twisting himself up in some false thinking and getting everything wrong.<p>

There was no one else here though. The people Zuko turned to when he was confused were all gone. Biting the inside of his cheek Zuko struggled to master his emotions. He was so, _so _lonely. Lonely and confused. He missed his uncle, whom he felt he could have asked about all of this, and he missed Mai, who was probably his only real friend. They didn't really talk about things but just being around somebody who wasn't judging him, who didn't have any expectations of him, was very comforting. He missed Mai for another reason too. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, even to himself, but Mai was _really_ pretty. He hoped he could see her again soon.

Everything wasn't completely hopeless though, somebody had definitely been to the Western Air Temple and Zuko was sure it was the Avatar. Who else would have gone to all the trouble of putting the dead to rest, but be such a small group that there was no other sign of their being there?

**LINE**

The island turned out to be entirely ringed by cliffs. Zuko ordered that they search the coast for anywhere suitable to land his steamer and a few hours later Liu spotted a river, the prince would be able to take his boat up the river until he found a landing site.

Jee was left again to look after the ship.

With the prince's apparent lack of interest in his crew he had started a bit of a patrol, from one end of the ship to the other, stopping to chat with everyone to make sure things were going well. It was as well that he did because things were not at all well. For the past few weeks Jee had been hearing grumblings from certain members of the crew, Mung chief amongst them.

It was a frustrating situation: there was nothing conclusive that he could deal with and Jee could only hope that he would have time to intervene when things became serious. The last thing he needed was for Zuko to hear about this. After the last time, there's no telling what he might do.

* * *

><p>Zuko steamed his way upriver for an hour and a half before the river became too narrow. The island was a dense jungle, surrounding a volcanic cone. If there was anyone living on the island, chances are they were in the cone.<p>

Following the river was the only viable option, the jungle on this island was much thicker than than the one surrounding the Western Air Temple. However it's clogged channels soon became too narrow and Zuko was forced to proceed on foot.

Underneath the dense canopy the air was was hot and humid, filled with the shrieks of animals and the stench of decaying plant matter.

Zuko picked his way carefully through the morass for several hours. He hadn't brought anything weapons other than his uncle's knife and his firebending, and the vines were proving a serious challenge to just the knife.

The ground was rising steadily as Zuko pressed on, the vegetation slowly thinning as he approached the outer edge of the volcanic cone. The slope of the cone was heavily eroded and Zuko had to climb slowly, checking every foothold carefully.

Cresting the lip of the cone Zuko was startled to see what looked like the ruins of a whole civilization. Taking a deep breath, he began his descent into the the caldera.

_The Sun Warriors! Of course! I knew they were supposed to have occupied the Fire Nation Islands thousands of years ago. I didn't know there were any ruins left though, not like this! It's huge!_

The path down to the city lead Zuko to what looked like the main thoroughfare. A wide avenue, walled and lined with buildings, but no side streets. The steep walls and lack of escape routes set Zuko on edge, the only other place he'd seen such a set up was the formal entrance to the Capital City's docks, a defile, crafted with guard towers and crossbows that would rain death on any invading force.

_There's most likely nobody here, but if there is there's no need to make things easy for them._

Picking one of the side streets, lined with low-roofed buildings and plenty of turn-offs, Zuko began his search.

When he was on the ridge, Zuko was able to get a sense of the scale of this place. Most of the construction was open plazas. There were ziggurats as well, each with a single large doorway, these would have to be checked, but aside from that there was very little that required more than a cursory search.

Checking the ziggurats on the western half of the city took Zuko most of the day. They were all empty with no traces of habitation. Slightly disgruntled at the apparent waste of time, Zuko made his way to the eastern side, skirting the large temple in the centre. He would check that last.

As Zuko prepared to enter the first ziggurat on the eastern side he heard something. Freezing , straining to hear, Zuko dropped into a firebending stance.

_There!_

Footsteps, at least three sets, coming from around the other side of the building.

Slowly, carefully, Zuko positioned himself. Opposite side of the doorway that they'd approach from, a clear avenue of escape to his right. Unless he was flanked and they were just too far for him to hear them.

_Damn it._

Catching movement at the corner of the building Zuko stepped forward quickly. He thrust two fists towards the figure shooting out a massive fireball. To his surprise the man pushed his hands forward and guided the fire to either side, dissipating the force of the attack.

_Firebenders!_

The man was olive-skinned and dressed strangely in red, gathered pants with a yellow sash. He was bare-chested save for a wrap over his shoulders, and bare-footed. His head was shaved with a ponytail and he wore a cloth headband.

As Zuko stared in shock at the man his companions caught up. The three of them were all dressed similarly and none were armed.

The first man dropped into an unfamiliar stance, one palm cocked forward. "Who are you? What do you want with the Sun Warriors?"

* * *

><p>"I overheard Jee telling Liu that we're heading north after this. Captain's orders." Mung looked around at his companions, Ryu and Shiro. Hyo was still on duty, but he'd speak to him later.<p>

"North? How far, just to the colonies or up into the North Sea?" Shiro made a pained face, "We're one little ship, what does he think we can do in the North?"

Mung leaned forward conspiratorially, "When's the last time any of you have seen a hawk hmm? Where's he getting his orders from, cause it sure isn't from a communication tower. I haven't seen a single hawk land on this ship since we left Hesan and there aren't any aboard either."

Ryu glanced around nervously, the mess wasn't quite empty but nobody was paying their group any attention, "What are you trying to say? He's the prince! You think what? That he's gone rogue? That's ridiculous."

"Hey, I ain't saying anything. Just stating facts. I don't know why there's no hawks. Just know that there aren't any. That's all." Mung stood and gave an exaggerated stretch, "Ain't nothing wrong with just stating facts."

* * *

><p>The Sun Warrior chieftain was a large man, he wore the same primitive outfit as his people with the addition of a cape over his shoulders, very similar to that worn during an Agni Kai, and a large headdress of white feathers. His face was painted and he carried a long staff topped with a seven pointed flame.<p>

The warriors who presented Zuko to their chieftain bowed low but Zuko remained standing, he was a prince, he bowed to no one but his father.

The large man stared at Zuko for a long time. Nobody moved and Zuko didn't blink. Finally the man made a dismissive motion with one hand, "Leave us."

Glancing at each other, the warriors dispersed and Zuko was left alone with the chief at the top of the central ziggurat. An ornate fireplace dominated the small space, the roaring fire reminiscent of the fire sages' temples.

The chieftain spent a long time studying Zuko, paying particular attention to his armour and the bandages covering the left half of his face. The scrutiny was making Zuko uncomfortable, and he had to struggle not to fidget.

"So." The big man began, stepping forward to place himself in Zuko's personal space, "What does the Prince of the Fire Nation want with the Sun Warriors... hmm?"

Squaring himself, Zuko looked the man solidly in the eye, "I'm searching for sign of the Avatar. I know he was at the Western Air Temple, not far from here. If you have seen him or have any knowledge of his whereabouts you **will **tell me."

The chieftain stared for a few moments then threw his head back and laughed, startled, Zuko took an involuntary step back. Then he bristled and stepped forward again, fists balled, "What do you know? Tell me! Where is the Avatar?"

Eyes narrowing, the Sun Warrior Chief crossed his arms, "I know nothing of the Avatar. No avatar has visited the Sun Warriors in my lifetime or my fathers. There is nothing for you here Prince. Go home."

Zuko recoiled as if slapped. Shock and anger chasing each other across his face, he didn't think, just reacted. Drawing on his anger, shame and fear he swung and arm back, gathering a fistfull of fire. The flames leapt wild in his hand as he pushed his palm forward, sending a close-quarters fireball at the man.

The Chieftain startled momentarily, then stepped to one side and caught the prince's wrist. With a savage twist he forced Zuko to his knees.

"Foolish, you would attack me when you cannot even control your own bending?" The Chieftain's stare was too penetrating and Zuko had to look away. Kneeling on the floor of this ancient temple, his arm caught in the unyielding grip of a master firebender, one who saw everything he had been trying to hide for weeks, all Zuko could do is grit his teeth and wait.

The grip on his arm grew hot and Zuko prepared himself mentally for the searing pain he knew was coming.

_Maybe a kick to the knee... twist hard and fast. Might get out before he can do any permanent damage._

With a sigh, the large man dropped the prince's arm, standing he took a step back then turned to face the roaring fire. His back turned, he spoke, "Did you know, little Prince, that a child's first source of firebending is wonder? A pure joy in the creative act. When we lose that joy, that _innocence_, we must find a new source for our fire."

Standing, Zuko took a step forward, "I don't know what you're.."

"Anger burns, yes, and it's easy, so easy to draw on." The Chief cut him off, "But anger is flawed."

Zuko crossed his arms and glared. The Chieftain turned to face the prince once more, "There are other sources of fire. Fire is **life**! And life **burns**, it **strives **and it is this quality that a firebender uses to make his fire."

Leaning forward, the Chief poked the prince in the chest, "Find a new source, Prince of the Fire Nation. Find something in you that burns." He leaned back and gave Zuko a sardonic look, "If you really intend to face the Avatar you're going to need something a bit more impressive than that fireball."

Zuko stood, rooted to the spot, he thought of his ship, where he and his lieutenant were the only firebenders. He thought of his aborted training, and of the prospect of facing the Avatar at his current level of skill. And here was a man, a master firebender, just giving away advice.

"Teach me." Zuko caught the man's eye and held his gaze, "I need to master firebending if I'm ever to capture the Avatar!"

The Chief looked the prince up and down, as if assessing his worth, "If you wish to master fire, you must learn from the masters Ran and Shaw. They will examine you. They'll read your heart, your soul, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot."

A tight knot of anxiety settled in Zuko's gut. After everything he had seen at the Western Air Temple. All his doubts and fears. There was no way he was ready to be judged. A few weeks ago maybe, when he was still so sure in his country. In this war.

What if he was judged and found disloyal? How could he live with himself? What if his father found out that he had these doubts? That he wasn't the perfectly loyal son he should be? Stepping back, his arms held up as if to ward against attack, Zuko shook his head, "No... no... I... have to go. I can't stay here. No... I... I can't..."

Zuko fled.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Time:<strong> Zuko takes some advice and the crew head north.

**A/N:** Am I taking too long with a chapter? Are you confused about what's going on in the story? Bug me on tumblr at **thesaucepear(.)tumblr(.)com**!


	6. Sailors and Soldiers

**A/N: Sorry about the huge wait for this chapter and thank you so much for all the reviews, you guys are amazing!**

* * *

><p>Zuko regretted his decision to run from the Sun Warriors almost the very moment he made it. Running through the rapidly darkening jungle, he fought with himself every step of the way not to turn back. His reasons for running hadn't changed. He was still terrified that he would be judged disloyal to his father, though the cowardice he showed in running away stung just as badly as the cracking scab under his bandages. There seemed to be no right answer, stay and be judged disloyal or run and be judged a coward.<p>

At the very least, he refused to show evidence of his inner turmoil when his river steamer reached the ship. The two engineers were waiting for him, and Zuko left them to take care of the steamer, retreating to the helm. A snapped order to Liu to take the ship north and he was free to seal himself in his room again.

Once he was within his sanctuary, Zuko bolted the door and crumpled. He felt so _ashamed_, but he still didn't know what he could have done. There was no way he could submit himself to be judged. He just couldn't. His loyalty to his country, to the Fire Lord, to his _father_, had never been so tested and he didn't yet know the arguments that would help him regain his faith that the Fire Nation was right. Tucking himself into a ball, Zuko wished once more for his uncle.

When Zuko finally rose from the corner he could barely stand, his muscles were cramped and stiff and when he opened his door and painfully ascended to the helm the pink-tinged light of dawn flooding the room shocked him. It had been just past sunset when he'd arrived back at the ship.

Zuko didn't remember sleeping.

* * *

><p>Liu heard the prince approach, his footsteps distinctive as he was the only one aboard who wore silk slippers. He didn't turn however, remembering Jee's injunctive to just leave the kid alone.<p>

Nervously, Liu watched the prince stagger out onto the balcony, he looked awful. He was still in yesterday's dirty clothes and he looked like he hadn't slept.

Turning back to the helm Liu almost didn't notice Lao, the ships' medic, coming up the ladder. Liu liked Lao, the man was even tempered and pleasant. He didn't set Liu's nerves on edge like some of the other crewmembers. He was also excellent on the drums, not that they'd had much of a chance to do a music night since they got their new captain. Liu hoped Jee would broach the subject soon.

Lao gave Liu a nod as he moved past to speak quietly with the prince. As they turned to make their way down, Liu caught sight of Zuko's face, the boy was white as a sheet. Liu had a fairly good idea of what was going on and he felt a wave of sympathy for the kid. He hoped the scar wouldn't be too bad. Though he supposed the prince had it a bit easier than most. Even if the scar was hideous, he still had his status. Better to be an ugly prince than an ugly peasant.

* * *

><p>Zuko sat stiffly under Lao's ministrations. The man had been tending his wound since they'd left Hesan, but Zuko was still uncomfortable with him seeing it. He hadn't seen it himself, unconsciously avoiding looking into any polished surface.<p>

When the medic finished unwrapping the bandages he washed his hands and started poking the scabby, scarred tissue. Zuko couldn't feel a thing.

After a moment Lao stood and pulled a wooden slat over the red-glass window, plunging the room into darkness.

"Alright Prince Zuko, I'm going to massage your eyelid with some warm water and we'll try and get it ungummed, then I want you to try and open it. It will probably hurt."

Grimacing, Zuko waited patiently as the man smoothed warm water over his eye, trying every so often to open it. It wasn't that gummed, he'd been opening it a little under his bandages when he was in his room, and so it only took a moment for the tension to release and the lid to crack open a little.

This time Zuko forced the eye all the way open, and choked on a scream. The tiny slivers of light coming through the slats burned like staring into the sun.

"Good, yes, it's going to hurt to look at the light, your eye has been in the dark for a very long time. You'll need to stay in here and keep it open for a while before it will adjust." Lao sat back and waited.

The pain was incredible, and he could tell that his vision was horribly blurry, though he couldn't really see anything much. Forcing his eye to stay open Zuko voiced his concern, "I... I can't see right. It's all blurry, is it going to stay like that?" The thought was frightening.

Lao clucked his tongue, "You are young, so your eye may recover over time. It will get better the more you use it Prince Zuko." He didn't sound very convinced.

In the gloom of the infirmary Zuko imagined a life with one half of his vision blurred out.

Lao had him sit for about an hour in the gloom of the infirmary, slowly opening the window slats as the time went by. By the time the window was fully uncovered and the room was fairly bright Zuko's left eye was burning and watering.

His sight was horribly blurry and colours seemed to bleed. He was sensitive to the light, which formed large whited-out spots in his vision. He didn't seem to have much peripheral vision on the left side either. All-in-all it was a complete nightmare, and he hadn't even seen what it looked like yet.

Lao was giving him instructions again, but Zuko wasn't listening. A chittering panic had sprung up in his head and it was all he could do to walk to his room, not run.

He didn't pass anyone on his way up, for which he was thankful. There was a small mirror of polished metal in the officer's washroom and Zuko decided to stop there first, morbidly curious as to what he looked like.

Zuko stepped into the room, pulling the hatch door shut behind him. The mirror was large, covering the wall above two basins. As soon as he turned away from the door he saw it. The scar was enormous, stretching from just inside his eye back to just past his ear, from just above where his eyebrow should have been to just below his cheekbone, and it was a horrible dark red colour. His eye was slitted and angry, a permanent glare.

Zuko quickly looked at his feet, breathing fast and shallow. That couldn't be... couldn't be him. It was awful. Worse than he had imagined it would be. He remembered his sister's comment, a lifetime ago it seemed, asking how he thought he could ever show his face at court. He couldn't. He just couldn't.

He couldn't look at it again either. Sliding down the door, Zuko gripped his head in his hands. His left hand encountering the harsh, leathery scar. It was an awful, nauseating feeling, to touch his face without feeling it. The scar tissue was rippled and cragged, forming deep lines around his eye. Dropping his hands in disgust, Zuko fished into his pocket.

He'd taken to carrying around his uncle's letter, he didn't know why, but it made him feel better. He unfolded it carefully, smoothing out the creases. It was hard to read the text with his blurry left eye, but he didn't shut it.

* * *

><p>Over the years that this crew had been serving together it had become customary for Jee, Liu and a few others to gather in some out of the way place to complain about their captain. Usually the secrecy was necessary to avoid said captain stumbling in on a harmless and purely theoretical discussion of exactly how they could weight his ankles and throw him into the North Sea.<p>

On this ship however, the secrecy was mostly cosmetic. The danger of Prince Zuko wandering across their little gathering was minimal, not to mention the chances of him deliberately seeking their company. Since his bandages had come off, a few days ago, the prince had been even more reclusive than usual. It had become a game with the men, spotting the Prince, and to Zuko's credit it was actually pretty difficult. Liu was still getting harassed about missing the kid climbing on top of the helm, swears he didn't hear a thing.

So it was without the anxiety of getting caught that Jee listened to Zheng and Liu arguing about who the prince's instructor must have been at the Naval Academy.

His entertainment was interrupted when Hideki coughed politely and stepped around Zheng who was gesturing with the force of his point. The engineer, startled, let his arms fall limp and Liu's nervous gaze snapped to the cook.

"I think there's an obvious solution that we're all missing," he began solemnly, "the prince's instruction obviously came from his father, the Firelord. He is the Crown Prince, after all, and we all know that Ozai's military service was... mercifully short."

Zheng snorted, "That's one way of putting it!"

Jee leaned forward intently, "So you think the Firelord trained him? Why would he do that? He's got an Academy for that sort of thing. Prince Lu Ten went there, it's not like it's not good enough for Princes!"

Hideki stroked his beard thoughtfully, "It's true that Prince Lu Ten attended the academy, but our current Firelord may think _his _son should have a more exclusive education," nods and grunts of assent greeted this statement, "Ozai favours the military, we've never had greater numbers of enlistments than under him, and much of the Nation's wealth goes to funding ships and weapons. But Firelord Ozai is not a military man, and for all that he has elevated his generals, he is not one of them. Not like the _former _Crown Prince, General Iroh. I think he would not want his son to be one either."

Zheng narrowed his eyes shrewdly, "No, the boy would be a threat then, wouldn't he?"

Liu shot him a look, "Yeah... or, could be that whatever this mission is, it's too important for anyone else to know about, right? 'Cause you know... I won't believe for a second that we're really out here to capture the Avatar. Thats ridiculous! And besides, he's just a kid and we ain't soldiers, we're sailors! What does he think we're gonna be able to do hunh?"

There were more murmurs and various nods or shakings of heads following that little outburst and Jee figured it was time to intervene.

Pushing himself off of the wall, Jee caught the eye of each crewmember present, making sure he had their attention, then he gave a little lopsided smile and shrugged, "It's a good theory Hideki, but I can't see as it makes much difference where he was trained. The situation is what it is and what we have to do now is learn to deal with it. So, men..." Jee paused dramatically, waiting to see the hope spark in his men's eyes as they anticipated his wise words. Then he raised his mug, drained it all at once and pronounced, "I'm going to bed." And with that he turned and left, the dissatisfied grumbles that followed him bringing a smile to his face.

As he made his way back to his quarters he paused, ducking into a small space between the engine room door and the upper hatch. Hiding and listening were two skills that Jee had mastered since becoming a Lieutenant and they always served him well; there were just some things that the men wouldn't talk about in front of their Lieutenant, even one so easy going as Jee.

Sure enough, as Zheng and Tachi made their way back into the engine room he caught Zheng's blunt question, "Have you seen his face? Since the bandages came off I mean. What _happened _to him?"

By the time Jee made it to his quarters his eye was twitching again, it always did that when he was stressed.

What _had _happened to him?

* * *

><p>Zuko was perched on the roof of the helm, next to the flagpole and signal pipe, it was remarkably easy to climb up here from the helm's balcony and the look of surprise when the man on watch spotted him was a nice change from the looks he'd been getting since removing his bandages.<p>

It wasn't anything overt, never enough that he could make a scene or accuse them of doing anything wrong, it was just a feeling he got whenever anyone would catch his eye. A quick flick of their eyes left, a slight tightening of the jaw and eye. They were disgusted with him. He couldn't blame them really, he was disgusting.

Zuko scrubbed at his eyes, wincing at the harsh feeling of the scar tissue and grimacing when his sight only worsened. He hadn't been sleeping enough, he knew that, but it was hard to care when the left side of his world had slid into a mess of blurred shape, piercing light and confusing movement.

He heard movement beneath him as Liu returned to his post, he was doing that more often now, relying on his other senses. Maybe they could compensate a little. Zuko doubted it.

Standing noislessly he slipped down and ducked in the rear door. Stealthily making his way to his room, Zuko was relieved to not encounter any of his crew. He'd taken to slipping out of sight whenever possible, moving silently and only when nobody was looking. It was just easier than dealing with the looks.

As usual, when Zuko returned to his room he went straight to his meditation table. It was the only thing that he enjoyed anymore, the calm, peaceful blankness as he concentrated on his fire. He'd found that the more he worked hard and with determination, the easier the fire came. Pure fire. He hadn't tried to use his anger to bend since it failed so spectacularly against the Sun Warrior Chief.

So every day he spent hours just working hard on mastering his fire. It was basic, but challenging to his concentration. It helped him not think about... everything else.

Seating himself at his table, Zuko calmed his breathing, drawing the fire into its rhythm and settled down for the evening's meditation.

* * *

><p>Aguta crawled backwards across the rocky ground until his soft-soled boots touched the cliff face, then with a sideways roll he slipped into the crevice where the rest of the raiding party was waiting for his report.<p>

Fifteen men of the Southern Water Tribe greeted him with murmurs and hand clasps as he hunched down over the sketching sand.

"Tarnak was right, only one ship. I saw two boiler stacks, only one lit." he explained, sketching out what he'd seen. "I'm guessing it's a runner, probably scout or message ship. I say we hit it. Watched for six hours and only saw one rotation of guards, two posted - thats all. One fore, one aft. Helm is at the top of the tower but I couldn't see inside at this distance." Aguta glanced hopefully at his Chief, if they were to raid this ship it would be his decision.

The Chief nodded thoughtfully and then gestured to a few of his men. They knew what to do, in four hours it would be sunset and the ship would be within striking distance of the cove where they kept their ships. The crevice emptied quietly as men left to prepare.

Nilak was the youngest of the warriors, he would be the one to make the climb tonight.

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><p>Nilak crouched in the prow of his canoe, Tarnak was behind him with the paddle, keeping the boat steady beside the anchor chain of the Fire Navy ship. He would stay here until Nilak returned, or they were discovered.<p>

The anchor chain was just over Nilak's head and he had to stand to reach the lowest link. He had wrapped his hands for this climb and so the barnacles did not cut him as he pulled himself up the side of the ship.

He paused just before he reached the gunwale, breath held, eyes wide to catch the light of the moon. He was Water Tribe, so he knew he was at an advantage in the dark, Fire Nation eyes did not see as well by moon and stars.

When Nilak was sure that the aft guard was at the far end of his patrol he heaved himself over the side and crouched next to the tower. Now came the difficult part, Nilak would have to climb the tower quickly, quietly and pray to the Ocean and the Moon that nobody glanced upwards. Settling his nerves, he began.

The climb was difficult, Fire Navy ships were crafted entirely of metal, and their sheer surfaces left few hand holds. By the time he reached the underside of the helm's balcony he was sweating and shaking with effort. One last push and he would be there though. He tried not to think about having to climb back down.

He slipped over the guardrail on the port side of the helm. He could see nothing from this angle and knew he would have to slip around the back to see inside. The back door was not locked, which was a blessing and Nilak slipped inside, shutting the door quickly to prevent a draft - if there was anything a Fire Nation man would notice, it was a cold gust.

The mews just inside the door were bare, all their hawks must be away. There was one man at the helm, middle aged, greying, and looking relaxed. Nilak took three deep breaths and then rushed forward.

* * *

><p>It was fully dark by the time Zuko emerged from his meditation. His room felt hot, stifling and his eye burned fiercely. He couldn't remember when he'd last had a full nights sleep. Unbolting his cam lock Zuko began the familiar climb to the helm.<p>

The hatch was open, as it usually was when they were not in dangerous seas and Zuko could hear something going on in the helm. He almost turned back, not wanting to encounter any of his crew, but figured he'd just retreat to the roof.

As Zuko cleared the top of the ladder, keeping habitually silent, he glanced up and froze at the sound of breaking glass. A tall Water Tribe man was standing in the centre of the room, his bone club caught in the shattered remains of the compass, a collection of navigational scrolls were clutched tightly in his other hand.

Zuko stood rooted in place as the man turned, he'd obviously made some kind of noise, but was galvanized into action when he saw what the man stood over. Liu was lying on the ground at the man's feet and there was blood around his head. He wasn't moving.

With a wordless scream Zuko stepped forward into a low stance and punched out sending a powerful blast of flame into the chest of the startled Water Tribe warrior.

The tibesman flew backwards, smashing through the front window and sailing across the balcony. Zuko was already running forward, vaulting himself through the shattered window - ignoring the glass that cut into his palm. But the man didn't stop when he hit the railing, there was a sharp, metallic sound as it gave way behind him and he limply plummeted to the deck, landing with a sickening thump and a clang.

Zuko flinched at the noise but cast his eyes out to the sides of his vessel, looking for Water Tribe ships. He caught the blur of what he thought was a mast on his left side and shot a stream of fire at it.

When he turned back to his deck he saw three more Water Tribe warriors had scrambled aboard and were carrying the limp form of the man from the tower between them. His two guards were running towards them but the warriors were armed and, noticing this, Shiro and Xu backed off.

The four men slipped over the side and the ships moved apart. The Water Tribe vessel had failed to ignite.

Zuko screamed in rage, firing another blast at the ship which was rapidly falling behind, but it was too far and his fire fell short.

Clutching the shattered railing with both hands Zuko slid to his knees, panting. Movement behind him caught his attention and he swung round, fire gathering at his fists, to see Jee carefully lifting Liu from where he lay.

The Lieutenant was in his sleep pants, he had obviously just woken up. In fact, it seemed the whole ship was awake. Suddenly light headed Zuko leaned over and vomited. He was pretty sure he'd just killed that man.

* * *

><p>The medical suite was loud, bright, and even with only three people in it, crowded. Liu was lying on a bed at the side of the room and Lao was saying something to him about his hand, but the words weren't penetrating. Zuko looked around for Jee, he was angry and he wanted some explanations.<p>

Jee was leaning in the doorframe of the suite, frowning at Liu. Zuko pushed Lao aside and shakily stood. Marching forward he placed himself in the Lieutenants space.

"Lieutenant, Water Tribe warriors invaded my ship. How? How did they get on board? Why didn't anyone see them? WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY STOP THEM!?" Zuko was shouting by the end, and if his eyes were stinging, it was probably from lack of sleep because he certainly wasn't crying.

Jee didn't back up, he just looked at Zuko - hard. Eyes flat, arms crossed Jee stared at him, "There are no soldiers on this ship Prince Zuko. What would you have us do? Attack them with our fists? Then Liu wouldn't be the only one in here."

"But there are thirteen of you! You could have done _something_!"

"We're sailors, not soldiers. I'm the only one who has armor. I'm the only firebender amongst the crew and none of them can use a sword. You should have known that. You should have hired soldiers. Especially if you're taking us this far North. We're damned lucky Liu isn't dead. Now if you'll excuse me... _sir_... I need to see to the men."

Jee turned and strode out onto the deck, leaving Zuko staring at the empty doorway, full of helpless rage. He _should _have known that, he _should _have hired soldiers. He was terrible at this, and people were going to die because he didn't know what he was doing.

Hissing in frustration, Zuko sat back down and let Lao finish sewing up his hand. He needed soldiers, he couldn't let this happen again. His crew were defenseless right now and he was in charge, which meant he was the one who was supposed to keep them safe. It was what any honorable captain would do.

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><p>Jee kept his face carefully neutral as he spoke to Shiro and Xu, Mung was ranting, but he didn't have time for that right now, he had to see to the helm.<p>

Liu was in bad shape. Lao said that blows to the head could be tricky. The best bet would be to get to Yu Dao as quickly as possible, so Jee had ordered the auxiliary boilers fired up. Four days he reckoned. He wasn't as good at the helm as Liu, but he was pretty confident that it wouldn't take longer than that to reach the colony.

He hoped Liu would last that long.

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><p><em><strong>Next Time:<strong> The crew make port in Yu Dao and Zuko meets a girl!_


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